Maravi

Zim first lady encourages Maureen

Zim first lady encourages Maureen
By Masuzyo Chakwe
Saturday October 11, 2008 [04:00]

ZIMBABWE’S first lady Grace Mugabe yesterday urged former first lady Maureen Mwanawasa not to despair during this time of bereavement. Speaking when she consoled Maureen at State House yesterday, Grace said as a woman, she knew how Maureen was feeling.

Grace who landed at the International Airport at 13:00 hours was received by Vice-President Rupiah Banda’s wife, Thandiwe, Zimbabwe’s Ambassador to Zambia Lovemore Mazemo and other government officials.

Grace then proceeded to State House where she signed the book of condolences.
She later went to see Maureen at Nkwazi House at State House and the two broke down.
“I would like to say that I learnt with deep sense of sorrow the death of president Levy Mwanawasa, in fact, when this happened I was away that’s why I couldn’t come to pay my condolences to the family with my husband.

But all the same I said to myself, should I ring my sister Maureen then I thought it was inappropriate to do that since we used to work together a lot. I used to call her sometimes and talk but this time it was so difficult to do it because of the nature of the grief that had befallen my sister,” Grace said.

She told Maureen that she was grieved by the death of president Mwanawasa because she knew how close they were and how much she was missing him.

“I know that sometimes in our African culture when a man passes away there are things we look for, probably we want to see how the estate is running whatever, what is it that president Mwanawasa left but I want to say is what we should look for in what Mwanawasa has left is the wife and the children, that’s what we should be looking for because those are the people who need us at this moment in time of the bereavement,” Grace said.

She told Maureen to feel free whenever she felt like talking to someone as she needed friends.

Grace said when she came for the SADC summit last year, she saw Maureen’s children and they were still young and needed the support of everyone.

Grace said Maureen knew how difficult it was bringing up children as a single parent since she (Maureen) had been helping people in the similar position as hers.

She urged Maureen not to despair because God was always there to guide people in times of need.

“ I know you are a prayerful woman, you shall always ask for guidance from God, the Almighty to help you look after the children. God cannot give us burdens we cant carry. You may take it as a burden and ask why is it that God took my husband at this moment and time when the children are still young, but he knows why he had done it. Probably the time for president Mwanawasa to go had come and we are human beings we couldn’t have done anything to stop it. So I wanted to say people of Zambia we are with you, we mourn with you, and we shall always remember the work president Mwanawasa did in the country to improve the lives of the people of Zambia,’ said Grace.

After their meeting, Maureen and Grace went to lay wreaths at the Embassy Park before Grace departed for Zimbabwe.

Labels: GRACE MUGABE, MAUREEN MWANAWASA

posted by MrK @ 3:47 AM