Budiriro folk hail ‘God-sent’ First Lady
GOGO Marbel Zireva’s house in Budiriro has been turned into a mecca of sorts with visitors wanting to see and having a feel of the couch where the First Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa sat when she visited the 70-year-old woman.
Mrs Zireva said Budiriro residents were still flocking to her house long after the First Lady performed house chores for her, while promoting cleanliness to avoid the spread of cholera.
Mrs Zireva, who lives with her three grandchildren, on Monday played host to the First Lady who washed her laundry, kitchen utensils and mopped floors among other household chores.
For Gogo Zireva it was unimaginable that one day she would come face to face with the First Lady but her dream came true when she sat together and had a chit-chat with Amai Mnangagwa like she does with her peers in the neighbourhood.
Mrs Zireva was not the only lucky resident to have her dirty laundry washed by the First Lady. Another couple, Enos (77) and Jane Chikanya (65), were overjoyed after Amai Mnangagwa performed the same chores at their house.
A youthful couple, Moregrasive (39) and Emily Munyongwa (30), have fond memories of Amai Mnangagwa’s visit.
In an interview with The Herald yesterday, Mrs Zireva said Amai Mnangagwa by choosing to leave the comfort of her home to spend time doing the unusual in the heart of the ghetto, speaks volumes of the kind of person she is.
She described the First Lady as a God-sent caring mother.
“Amai did something that I never expected to happen in my life. She caught us by surprise and her presence in my house shocked me,” she said.
“When Higher Life officials visited a day before the event, they only mentioned that people from Harare City Council were going to be part of the clean-up campaign. I was shocked to see many cars parking in my yard when I do not even own a bicycle and suddenly the First Lady, who I had never met, walked into my house, isn’t that grace?
“Shuwa kutogarawo pasofa rangu ratosakara zvaro and even going the extra mile, mopping my floors, washing my blankets, clothes and dishes, zvakamboitika kupi?
“She washed my clothes and blankets with her bare hands. Imagine someone of her status kutobatawo hembe dzechembere dzine tsvina. Truly, she is God- sent and I speak blessings upon her life.”
Mr Chikanya said when Amai Mnangagwa visited their house he did not recognise her due to his advanced age but was later advised it was indeed the First Lady.
“I was shocked kuti harahwa yakaita seni kurangarirwa na-Amai venyika. I have never seen such a responsible First Lady like her and she is truly a mother of the nation. Chiitiko ichi hatisati takambochiona,” he said.
His wife, Jane, chipped in saying the First Lady cleaned their house to perfection.
“As a cholera survivor, I learnt a lot from Amai. She encouraged us to practise good hygienic standards to curb cholera,” she said.
“She is a woman of action who walks the talk, may God bless her.”
After cleaning Mr and Mrs Chikanya’s house, the First Lady moved to the Munyongwa’s house who welcomed her into their house.
“I was so humbled having the First Lady doing house chores for us when it was supposed to be the other way round. She did laundry, cleaned dishes, scrubbed floors and swept the yard among other household chores,” Mrs Munyongwa said.
“Words cannot express how grateful we are. This was a first of its kind having our First Lady in the heart of the ghetto doing dirty work for us.”
The First Lady, through her foundation- Angel of Hope then donated a wheelchair to Mr Munyongwa who suffered a spinal injury nine years ago and has been using a makeshift wheelchair.
The following day, Amai Mnangagwa took her awareness and clean-up campaigns to Glen View 3, a hotspot of the cholera outbreak in Harare and left residents in the high-density suburb awestruck when she cleared heaps of garbage.