Online Reporter
Nomalisa Gumpo
ONE of Zimbabwe’s oldest matriarchs, Gogo Sibikiwe Sibanda from Lower Gweru in the Midlands Province, has passed away at the age of 106.
Gogo Sibanda, who was a devout member of the Seventh Day Adventist (SDA) church, passed away at a home on Tuesday after a short illness.
Confirming her death, Gogo Sibanda’s granddaughter Mrs Saziso Nkomo, described her as a caring and positive person who loved God unconditionally.
“We are overwhelmed, yes. But we celebrate the life of a heroine of faith,” she said.
Mrs Nkomo said her grandmother taught them to share whatever small things they had.
“You always knew you had gone against her rules when you hear her say, ‘I have raised children and brought them up, but they have rebelled against me’,” she said.
She revealed that Gogo Sibanda had told them that when she passes, she doesn’t expect them to cry but to sing.
“She was a very positive person who believed that she would be saved and rise again when the Lord comes again. It is for this reason that, as a family, we celebrate her life,” said Mrs Nkomo.
In her lifetime, Gogo Sibanda experienced the turmoil of World War II, witnessed the Zimbabwe Liberation War that brought about independence, endured the devastating impact of the HIV pandemic, observed Zimbabwe’s historic land reform program, and navigated through the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Born in 1919, Gogo Sibanda is survived by four children, 13 grandchildren, 44 great-grandchildren and 12 great-great-grandchildren.
Her husband, Nganunu Sibanda, passed away in 1981 and they initially had six children, with two passing on.
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