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Brandon Moyo, Sports Reporter
ZIMBABWE Cricket have undertaken to look after the two surviving children of late coaches, Shepherd Makunura and Sinikiwe Mpofu who died less than a month of each other.
Makunura, who was the men’s national team fielding coach died on December 15 while his wife Mpofu, the Lady Chevrons assistant coach breathed her last on January 7. Mpofu was laid to rest on Wednesday at Lady Stanley Cemetery in Bulawayo. She left behind two boys who are still in school.
Speaking on behalf of ZC at Mpofu’s funeral, Tuskers general manager Nicholas Singo said the game’s governing body has pledged to take care of the child’s education from primary school to university on a fully funded scholarship.
ZC will pay for youngest child’s school fees at a private school in Marondera. The cricket mother body will take care of his tuition up to university. The oldest son’s high school also announced that they will pay for his tuition.
Being buried at what is dubbed the city’s heroes acre was a befitting honour for Mpofu who put Bulawayo on the global map as a cricketer as well as a coach. Her funeral service, which started at UCCSA in Njube suburb where she grew up was attended by hundreds of people who came to pay their last respects to one of the pioneers of women’s cricket in Zimbabwe.
Zimbabwe Cricket women’s team media and communications manager, Yvonne Mangunda said Mpofu did an amazing job and has left a huge impact in cricket. She added that she is a great loss to Zimbabwe Cricket and will be dearly missed.
With Mpofu being the first Zimbabwean female cricketer to transition from being a player to a national team coach, Mangunda said it will take a long time to have a player and coach like her.
Before she was taken to her final resting place, Mpofu was given a final guard of honour by the Lady Chevrons and other cricketers at Queens Sports Club. – @brandon_malvin
Bongani Ndlovu
Online Reporter