Requiem to Paida: Gratitude to Zimbabweans
DEPARTED Paidamoyo Nonica Mutsvangwa was an angel soul endowed with a genius mind and the greatest of hearts well beyond her fledgling tender age.
Her headmaster, Richard Crook of Bishopslea School, eulogised with a heavily pained soul: “Paida was a budding child prodigy. She has uniquely etched a page in my 43 years of professional teaching.
“She was, without a shadow of doubt, inevitably destined for some useful and scintillating role, one way or the other, at the centre stage of the national drama of the ever-unfolding story of Zimbabwe.”
Fellow learners, teachers, staff and parents of Bishopslea joined mourners.
Their ears primed to listen in anguish to sad serenades of choral, violin and piano music as they sat by the hearse. His Excellency, Emmerson D. Mnangagwa, the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe, despatched Amai Auxillia Mnangagwa, the First Lady, as well as Vice President Constantino Chiwenga to deliver words of fortitude and comfort.
Politburo members of the ZANU PF ruling party, Government ministers, Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe Governor Dr John Mangudya, Senate President Mabel Chinomona and political leaders of the opposition joined in commiseration. Zimbabweans of every walk of life thronged the Mutsvangwa homestead in Highlands — ever ardent in extended help and balm so we could grapple with the searing pain and tormented grief.
On social media, fellow nationals, friends from other countries and diplomats, all overcome ground and territory to mourn Paida from the pedestal of the vantage point that the “Internet cloud” offers.
There are business executives who stretched hands and emptied hearts in an overflow of emotion and support.
Men of cloth conducted repeat mass and preached so heavens could transcend the soul of Paidamoyo. Zimbabweans went farthest as they drove in their hundreds to Glen Forest Memorial Park. They surged to pay the final respects to a Paidamoyo they had individually and personally adopted on her painful, sudden and final departure to eternity.
Along this last journey of Paidamoyo, Zimbabweans exhibited their true, honest and faithful embrace of the sublime human virtues of love of the child, loyalty to family and intense patriotic fervour.
All of these being hallmarks and pedigree of our proud, organised and well-structured African nation. The Mutsvangwa and Masaiti families are profoundly humbled as grandparents, parents and extended family of Paida.
Fellow nationals, your touching words convey your deep feelings of pain and sympathy. We will cherish them forever as grandparents. Our son Neville and the mother, Natsai Masaiti, will treasure the profound wellspring of empathy to eternity.
P.S. Paida you marvelled as you intently picked my mind about the national liberation war both your paternal grandparents fought as youthful Zimbabweans.
You always asked for a book to post on the internet as testimony to family patriotic pride.
This time, your guiding spirit has taken over my hand and my pen.
Zimbabweans who will be joining you shall soon deliver it to your relief and content. Just as much to the delight of posterity. After all, such serve as sources of legends that are the building blocks of national self-esteem.