Cde Thokozile Angela Mathuthu
Nqobile Tshili/ Leonard Ncube, Chronicle Reporters
FORMER Minister and Zanu-PF Women’s League deputy secretary Cde Thokozile Angela Mathuthu (61) has died.
The late Minister’s husband Cde Jonathan Mathuthu said she succumbed to cancer yesterday morning at her place of residence in Harare.
“She passed on at about 4.30AM in Harare. She was suffering from cancer,” he said.
Cde Mathuthu’s death has plunged the ruling party Zanu-PF and the entire nation into mourning.
The party’s Secretary for Administration Cde Obert Mpofu said senior party members yesterday visited the late Cde Mathuthu’s family residence in Harare to pay their condolences.
“We’ve met her family as the party leadership. Her death is quite a blow to the party. Cde Mathuthu was a pillar in the party and Government. She was a Central Committee member, politburo member and served as a Government minister,” said Cde Mpofu.
“We’ve lost a cadre with untainted loyalty to the party and Government. We have lost a gallant fighter who stood with the party through its trials and tribulations. Matabeleland North has lost a gallant cadre who worked for the development of the province.”
He said the funeral wake is expected to be moved to Bulawayo.
Condolence messages started pouring in and her home province Matabeleland North immediately recommended that she be declared a national heroine.
“As Matabeleland North we are in mourning and we have made our recommendations to the national leadership, President and Politburo asking that she be given a national heroine status,” said Cde Richard Moyo, Zanu-PF’s Matabeleland North provincial chairman.
“She worked in the Politburo during the previous leadership and was still in the same position in the new dispensation and the party never had a problem with her because she remained in the party until her death,” he said.
Cde Moyo said her death was tragic for the province which had elected her as one of its senators.
Zanu-PF Women’s League national spokesperson Cde Judith Ncube described Cde Mathuthu as a dedicated cadre and hard worker.
“I first knew her as deputy secretary (Zapu women’s league) before the signing of the Unity Accord. Through her loyalty and leadership qualities she was elevated to several positions in both the Women’s League and Government. Although, we are aware that she has not been feeling well, we did not expect that she will be gone this soon. Her death leaves us partially empty because it will be difficult to fill the gap that she has left,” said Cde Ncube.
The Bulawayo Provincial Affairs Minister Cde Angeline Masuku mourned her death while consoling her family.
She urged other women to emulate Cde Mathuthu saying she was dignified in her political actions.
“She started her politics under my watchful eye. I watched her grow to a fully blossomed politician. She was once deputy secretary as I led the province. She was very intelligent, dedicated towards working for the party. I wonder whether we are going to get another person with Thoko’s attributes,” said Cde Masuku.
“She was a true heroine. She never aligned herself with anyone but was guided by the principles of the party. I want to urge other women to learn that when you join politics, you should remain guided by the party’s ideologies. And that is what Thoko stood for.”
Cde Mathuthu was born Thokozile Angela Gumbo on March 26 1957 and was later married to Cde Mathuthu.
She was a Zapu Youth Wing committee member between 1975 and 1978 and participated in the liberation war as a war-collaborator.
She operated in areas such as Tinde and Kamativi in Hwange and Binga districts.
Between 1979 and 1980, she was instrumental in the ceasefire when she housed some Zipra fighters in Gwayi and at independence she became PF-Zapu Women’s League committee member, and deputy chairperson in Hwange district until 1983.
Cde Mathuthu was part of the integration committee of PF-Zapu and Zanu-PF in 1987 when she became deputy Secretary of the Women’s League in the province after the Unity Accord.
Between 1987 and 1993 she was in women’s league in Matabeleland North.
Cde Mathuthu was Zanu-PF district coordinator for Hwange between 1994 and 1997 while also working for various companies in different managerial positions.
She was also the party’s Secretary for Transport and Social Welfare in the province, a position she also held as a deputy in the Politburo in 2000, before becoming a chairperson of the National Transport and Social Welfare standing committee in the party.
At the same time she worked as the Women’s League national executive member.
Cde Mathuthu served as Matabeleland North Governor from 2005 to 2013.
After 2015 Cabinet reshuffle Cde Mathuthu was appointed Deputy Minister of Media, Information and Broadcasting Services and was appointed Minister of State for Provincial Affairs Matabeleland North in 2017.
In May last year, she was elevated from the Women’s League secretary for information and publicity to the deputy secretary post, a position she held until her death. In 2012 between February and November she was appointed acting Zanu-PF provincial chairperson for Matabeleland North.
Cde Mathuthu served the country on international platforms and in 2001 she represented Zimbabwe in a delegation that went to Europe on an Information Initiative Programme and was part of another delegation that visited China in 2011.
She represented Zimbabwe in a number of portfolios including being deputy chairperson of Pan-African Parliament between 2015 and 2016.
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