Vesta Sithole buried at Glen Forest

Morgan Tsvangirai and his deputy Professor Arthur Mutambara and some MDC-T officials, attended the funeral service at the family house in Waterfalls, Harare.
Former legislator Mrs Margaret Dongo and National Constitutional Assembly chairman Professor Lovemore Madhuku were among the mourners.
Addressing the mourners, PM Tsvangirai said Mrs Sithole should have been declared a national heroine because of the role she played during the liberation struggle.
“To be honest, I don’t have familiarity with this woman but I came to see them here before Sithole left for the United States.
“If you see someone being married by Ndabaningi then that woman should have been totally exceptional. I was really impressed by her assertiveness and forthrightness.”
Earlier, DPM Mutambara had told the mourners that Mrs Sithole had left a national legacy.
“We are happy that she has given Zimbabwe a shared legacy. Vesta is not for MDC-T or Zanu Ndonga, she has left a shared legacy.
“Zanu-PF wouldn’t be there had it not been for her, MDC-T wouldn’t be here if she wasn’t there. All the parties wouldn’t be there if it wasn’t for her,” DPM Mutambara said.
He said women’s roles were always overlooked. DPM Mutambara also urged the youths to emulate the sacrifices made by Mrs Sithole.
“Young ones like Nelson Chamisa (Minister of Information Communication Technology) and others, you should learn to sacrifice. You may not be arrested but your sacrifice is to work in Government and get paid peanuts,” he said.
Mrs Sithole’s eldest son, Gwalugano Mwakalyelye said his mother taught them to be of value and to use their diverse talents.
Sister to the late Mrs Sithole, Ms Fransica Saungweme said the deceased was very clever and risked her life during the liberation struggle.
Ms Saungweme said Mrs Sithole persevered despite clear indications that her life was in danger                                     because of her participation in the struggle.
President of United Church of Christ, Reverend Edward Matuvhunga, urged the Government to look at issues that affected the Ndau tribe.
He said there was nothing wrong with pastors having a voice in the politics of the country.
“Some people say as pastors we shouldn’t be involved in politics, but that is abusing us. We are politicians but not partisan. If you don’t want us to do that you are de-humanising us.
“We are there to comfort you when you beat each other up. In your politics please don’t beat up pastors because if you do that the land will be cursed,” he said.
Mrs Sithole died five days before her 70th birthday. She was born in 1942 at Mutambara Mission Hospital in Chimanimani.
She joined Zapu led by the late Vice President Cde Joshua Nkomo in the 1960s and left Zimbabwe for Tanzania at the age of 19 to join the armed struggle.
It is in Tanzania where she met and married her first husband, Jackson Mwakalyelye in 1966.
Mr Mwakalyelye died in 1972 and she then married the late Ndabaningi Sithole in 1980.
They had no children together.