FIRST Lady Grace Mugabe yesterday publicly lobbied her husband, President Robert Mugabe, to declare the late Vice-President Joseph Msika’s widow, Maria, a national heroine.
BY BLESSED MHLANGA
Grace, who gave a message of condolences soon after landing at Harare International Airport, publicly called on her husband to declare Maria a heroine, saying she played a key role in the liberation struggle and deserved to be honoured.
“On behalf of the (Zanu PF) women’s league, I pass my condolences following the passing on of the late Vice-President Msika’s wife. We thank God for the time we had with her on earth. We are all aware of the good work she did for this country and on behalf of the women’s league, I am asking that she be accorded the honour of national heroine,” she said.
Grace said Vice-President Emmerson Mnangagwa had assured her that all the paperwork to accord the late Maria the status was being processed.
Mugabe, in his speech, however, avoided the matter.
According to a family representative, the late Maria had been struggling with hypertension.
