Sabina Gabriel Mugabe was a Zimbabwean politician died after a long illness she was , 75. She was the younger sister of the current Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe.
(October 14, 1934 – July 29, 2010)
She served as the Member of Parliament for Makonde East from 1985 to 1990 and for Zvimba South from 1990 to 2008. Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai’s MDC party has described the late Sabina Mugabe, sister to President Robert Mugabe, as a champion of female empowerment and rural development.
Party secretary for women’s affairs Theresa Makone lavished praise on the late Sabina saying she was interested in the development and self-emancipation of Zimbabwean women especially those in the rural areas.
“I remember her as a hard working woman who had the welfare of the women of Zimbabwe at heart especially those in the rural areas,” said Makone.
“We are saddened by her death and would like to convey our deepest sympathy to President Mugabe and his family for the loss of such a courageous woman who had interest not only in the development of her area but the whole of Zimbabwe.”
Sabina died on Thursday morning at Avenues Clinic in Harare after a long illness triggered by a stroke she suffered in 1995 which subsequently damaged part of her brain.
Minister of Local Government and Zvimba North MP, Ignatius Chombo who worked with the late Sabina as an MP when she was the MP for Zvimba South said her death was not only a loss to the people of Zvimba the entire country.
“She was a revolutionary, a cadre, a mother and a champion of development. She has left a footprint of significant achievements that many of us can not achieve in a life time,” said Chombo.
Sabina was known for her passion of hard work, she was involved in several developmental projects such as sawing, handcraft and gardening projects.
The most outstanding thing about her was that she would do this without any means but managed to create cooperatives throughout Zvimba that sew school uniforms and created work for women in surrounding areas.
She also started nutritional gardens along Manyame River that continue to supply local communities with fresh vegetables to this day.
While Chombo – who spoke glowingly of Sabina -- described her as having been her own person who never sought to his her brother’s name to get her way, many will remember the President’s sister as among the favoured few in Zanu (PF), if not national, politics.
Mother to three sons, Leo Mugabe, Patrick Zhuwawo and Gabriel Mugabe, Sabina did not register any significant political achievements of her own.
Like her sons and other relatives such as Phillip Chiyangwa, she appeared to ride on her brother’s power and built up a career on the back of the President’s support.
She would be imposed in constituencies such as Zvimba and will be conveniently accommodated in Zanu (PF) structures such as the politburo and Women’s league by party zealots out to curry favour with Mugabe.
While Sabina might have lacked the political talents that would have made her a pillar of support to Mugabe’s political career, she was however close to her brother and must have provided vital social and emotional support to a man who is not known to have many close friends outside political circles.
When Sabina retired from active politics in 2008 at the insistence of her brother who was worried about her failing health, Mugabe became a permanent feature at his sister’s Greendale house.
A vendor who identified himself as Samson Tenga who usually operates along Enterprise Road close to the late Sabina’s house described the visits.“We always saw the President’s motorcade almost every weekend, sometimes early in the mornings. Although we didn’t know what was happening we suspected something was wrong,” said Tenga.
Sabina will be buried at the National Heroes Acre today to become the sixth female to be interred at the national shrine.
Sabina Mugabe died in Harare on July 29, 2010, aged 75, following a long illness.
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