Zimpapers Logo

Elita Chikwati Senior Reporter
President Mnangagwa yesterday mourned Sekuru Phineas Tagwirei, father to Harare businessman Mr Kudakwashe Tagwirei.

President Mnangagwa was accompanied by Vice President Constantino Chiwenga and his wife Marry, among other senior Government officials.

Sekuru Tagwirei succumbed to prostate cancer at Trauma Centre in Borrowdale yesterday.

He was 91.

Addressing mourners, President Mnangagwa said it was sad that Sekuru Tagwirei had passed on.

He said death was not easy to deal with, but people should learn to accept it.

“Rufu harujairike, kuti titi kwedu rufu rwawanda tatorujaira, hazvigone. Rufu runotikuvadza tese sehama, neshamwari nevavakidzani. Kana muhondo macomrades aifa akawanda hapana pataiti pafa mumwe tofara; pakafa mumwe tinochema pakafa vane mazana maviri the same,” he said.

He said God the creator knew the time to call his people to rest.

“PachiKaranga pane kudaniwa nekukokewa. Mwari haakoki, unodana. Kana uchikoka, mudiki anokwanisa kukoka mukoma, mukoma ndoda uuye kumba uzoona vana; kana mukuru anokwanisa kukoka sekuru vake, huyai muzoona vazukuru, asi kudana, mukuru anodana. Saka Mwari anodana nekuti mukuru. Saka sekuru vangu vakadaniwa nguva yanga yakwana.

“There is nothing we can do about it, but to pray to God and ask God to help us understand it and that his soul rests in eternal peace,” he said.

He consoled Mr Tagwirei saying he was not alone in mourning his father.

“Your burden is also ours. You worked for the Government and party and we will also be together during this difficult time,” he said.

Family spokesperson, who is sister to the late Sekuru Tagwirei, Mrs Tecla Mtungwaza said he was popularly known as “Chief Tagwirei” as he exhibited high levels of orderliness and thoroughness.

“Yes indeed, he was our chief; with the authority of a chief he rallied the Tagwirei family in one direction,” she said.

Sekuru Tagwirei trained as a driver and worked faithfully for the family business.

Mrs Mtungwaza said Sekuru Tagwireyi was a professional driver between 1973 and 1979. Using a fleet of the family business, he used to deliver supplies sourced from the then Gwelo town to freedom fighters operating in the Shurugwi area.

“Sekuru Tagwirei was a devout member of the Seventh Day Adventist Church. He loved God and for the greater part of his adult life preached love and unity among the Tagwirei clan,” Mrs Mtungwaza said.

He got married to Karry in 1952 and had nine children.

“He also had the task of being father to the rest of the Tagwirei clan, comprising of more than 150 children and grandchildren, taking responsibility of all his late brothers’ children.

“He shared a special relationship with all his sons and among them Kuda (the Joseph of the Tagwireyi family) developed a coalesced understanding of what love can do for the family when God is put first,” Mrs Mtungwaza said.

Sekuru Tagwirei was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2017.

His situation deteriorated in April.

Sekuru Tagwirei seemed to be responding positively to medication, but his condition became worse on Saturday and died yesterday.

Sekuru Tagwireyi will be buried on Wednesday in Mulauzi Village, under Chief Nhema in Shurugwi.

Mourners are gathered at Number 4 Luna Road, Borrowdale Brooke.