Zim’s female war heroes . . .
WOMEN played a key role in liberation movements across Africa, particularly in south Africa and Zimbabwe. Below are some of the female heroes who are recognised for their contribution in the liberation war.
Sally Mugabe
Born sarah Francesca Heyfron, sally Mugabe was the first wife of the late President of the Republic of Zimbabwe Robert Mugabe. Amai (mother), as she was affectionately known by the Zimbabweans, was the first woman to be buried at the National Heroes Acre in Harare after being declared a national hero.
she was born in Ghana on June 6, 1931 and was married to the nationalist politician since 1961. sally was born and raised in the British West African colony
of Ghana which was known as the Gold Coast at the time. she grew up in the West
African British colony at a time in which the early forms of Pan-African nationalist politicians were beginning to gather momentum. she went to Achimota secondary school in Ghana where she successfully completed her secondary education. soon after this, she proceeded to takoradi teacher training College where she enrolled for a teaching certificate. It was at this institution where she met her future husband Mugabe.
In 1967, sally went into exile in Britain after the arrest of her husband Mugabe together with other nationalists from the Zimbabwe African National Union (Zanu) party. she spent the next eight years campaigning for the release of political detainees in Rhodesia, including her husband who had been arrested in 1964 and was to remain incarcerated for eleven years. sally subsequently joined Mugabe in Maputo Mozambique after the latter was released from prison and escaped into Mozambique to organise the second Chimurenga war against Ian smith regime. During her stay in Mozambique, sally was the mother figure to thousands of Zimbabwean refugees who had sought comfort in camps such as Chimoio and Nyadzonya. During this period she worked closely with other nationalist leaders such as Edgar tekere and simon Muzenda in securing refuge for Zimbabweans in Mozambique.
Margaret “Tichaona Muhondo” Dongo Margaret “tichaona Muhondo” Dongo is and one of the most celebrated veterans of the Zimbabwean Liberation struggle.
she was born on March 16, 1960. she lost a son in 2016 due to an accident at her farm in Mhondoro.
Dongo is said to have started her political career when she dropped out of school at the age of 15 to go for militraining tary in Mozambique. Having joined the liberation struggle in 1975, she received military training at Chimoio Military training Camp and eventually served in the tete province, offering assistance to injured combatants.
Joice Runaida Mugari Mujuru
she is former Vice President of Zimbabwe, a position she held from 2004 to December 2014. she is also former Vice President of Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front (Zanu PF) a party she was expelled from on April 2, 2015. Mujuru is also known by her liberation war name teurairopa which loosely translates to “spill Blood”. In post-colonial Zimbabwe, she became the youngest minister in the first Cabinet of independent Zimbabwe.
Mujuru was born in Mt Darwin on April 15, 1958, Mashonaland Central, in northeastern Zimbabwe. she was one of 12 children born to her parents. Joice Mujuru only did two years of high school and as a teenager left in 1973 to join the Zimbabwe African National Liberation Army (Zanla). In 1977, she married the late General solomon Mujuru (then using the name Rex Nhongo), who died August 15, 2011. together they had four daughters Kumbirai Mujuru, Nyasha