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Mkhululi Ncube,Chronicle reporter
THE wife of the late former PF-Zapu political activist, Cde John Ndebele who died more than four decades ago and was reburied at his Denver Farm on the outskirts of Bulawayo in March, Mrs Rhoda Ndebele has died.
She was 81.
Ndebele passed away at Mater Dei hospital on Sunday after a long illness. She will be laid to rest at the Denver Farm Today at 12 pm.
Her daughter, Miss Senzeni Ndebele described of her mother’s death as painful.
“She was a Food and Nutrition teacher for a long time and taught at Magwegwe Primary School and Nkulumane Primary before working for the Bulawayo City Council. She loved her job and loved cooking,” said Miss Ndebele.
As a girl child I have always been with umama and her death is a new direction in life to me and I do not know what tomorrow will be like without my mother it is hard, her death is a very difficult moment.
Mum has been sick for a while and it will be selfish of us to want her to be here considering that ubengezwa kuhle. She taught us to be strong and to lean on God in good and hard times,” she said.
Miss Ndebele said like many other families who are affected by Covid-19, they will have to lay her mother to rest in the absence of some her children who are outside the country.
“This is actual a hard time for me. It is me and my brother Dingilizwe. Three of my siblings are in the UK, two other brothers are in South Africa and Namibia. We are making arrangements so that we use one of the social media platforms for them to join the rest of the family during the burial,” she said.
Ndebele’s husband Cde Ndebele died in Malawi on November 10, 1977, and his remains were repatriated to Zimbabwe for reburial on March 1 this year.
He sneaked out of the country in 1963 after the Rhodesian government had launched a manhunt for him due to his political activities.
Speaking during the reburial of her husband then, Ndebele said she was relieved when her husband’s remains were repatriated from Malawi.
“It has always been my wish to have my husband’s remains repatriated for reburial home. I am grateful now that 42 years after his death, he has finally been brought home to lie next to his siblings and to me it’s a great honour,” she said.
Ndebele is survived by seven children and many grandchildren.
Mourners are gathered at Number 10 Ellington Road in Kumalo suburb.
Sidumisile Mabena