Wenslus Murape
Tendai Rupapa in Chiweshe
FIRST LADY Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa was a fiery netball player during her schooldays and exuded strength and determination to succeed, her primary school peer has said.
Addressing guests, including President Mnangagwa, at celebrations to mark the First Lady’s attainment of a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree in Tourism and Hospitality Management, Mr Costain Sabao triggered laughter when he highlighted events that took place during their youth, adding colour to the celebrations.
He said growing up, Amai Mnangagwa was affectionately known at school as Auxy, short for Auxillia. He also painted a picture of the hurdles they encountered as children attending school during the war. The classmate further said Dr Mnangagwa was, in fact, the head of the family as her parents had divorced in her early childhood.
Besides the duty of diligently attending school, she had to fend for her two younger brothers.During the holidays, he said, Amai Mnangagwa worked on the farms closer to Glendale as a cotton picker to fend for her brothers.
Mr Sabao said he felt honoured to wind back the hands of time to talk about the past. He added that through dedication and commitment, Dr Mnangagwa had become a mentor and great source of inspiration to many.
“The centrepiece of my presentation is my primary school peer and my dear sister, who has now become my mentor and my great source of inspiration. Yes, I want to talk about Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa, but with all due respect, the body of my short presentation shall focus on the girl child Auxillia Kutyauripo.
“In 1977, at the height of the war for the liberation of our beloved country Zimbabwe, I was doing Grade Seven at Kakora Primary School. This was the sad period when all the villagers were force-marched into protected villages, then commonly referred to as keeps. Kakora Primary School was in Keep 15. Auxillia and many others from the same class lived in Keep 15, except for me and my other classmate by the name Knowledge Madzudzo. We came to attend school from Keep 18, Kanhukamwe. Suffice to say, we lived and schooled in a war zone, where brutality by the settler regime was not uncommon,” he said.
Mr Sabao gave insights into the character of the First Lady back then.
“Far from the war and sometimes oblivious of the battle going on outside the walls of the classroom, learning was going on. In our class, there was a girl who answered to the name Auxillia. She was a quiet and reserved girl, whose focus on schoolwork was unquestionable. She was rather withdrawn. Her only close friend was Anatolia Mutanda. Auxillia occasionally wore a smile on her face but I must add that her smiles were economical,” he explained.
Added Mr Sabao: “In class, she actively participated in all subjects and we often traded positions. Sometimes she would beat me and sometimes I would do better than her. She liked competition. My strength was in the English language. All her work presentation was neat. When Auxillia sat to write, with her left hand covering her work, she took great care to shape her letters. I remember poking fun at her by asking, ‘Do you want to take your handwritten work to Dambatsoko (the place where annual agricultural competitions were held)?’ She never took offence but her conversations were always terse and purposeful.”
He further highlighted her resilience in the face of adversity, as she navigated responsibilities as the head of her family while pursuing her education.
“The Auxillia I know did not come from a rich or well-to-do family. On many occasions, we both found ourselves on the list of those whose school fees had not been paid. The school would send us back home. Our common fate helped me understand the life of my sister. I learnt that Auxillia was, in fact, the head of the family as her parents had divorced in her early childhood. Besides the duty of diligently attending school, she had to fend for her two younger siblings, her two brothers.
“One of the brothers, the one who came immediately after Auxillia, is now late and, as you may be aware, the other brother is the current Chief Negomo,” he narrated.
The early childhood harrowing experience, Mr Sabao said, explains why the now-First Lady Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa always acted more mature than all of her peers.
“During the holidays, Auxillia worked on the farms closer to Glendale as a cotton picker. She would walk long distances barefooted to find farm work and fend for her family. However, despite the cruel challenges, Auxillia remained resolute, principled, focused, unshakeable and solid like a rock. A humble God-fearing girl is how I can best describe her.
“I believe it is important for me to mention that albeit all the challenges that she went through, promiscuity never, never crossed her mind! What a great sister of valour!”
Mr Sabao hinted at the roots of the First Lady’s philanthropic work.
“What boggles my mind to this day is that despite the hardships, Auxillia still found time for others, especially those in less-privileged circumstances. The Kakora community was aware that Auxillia used to find time to help Mbuya Makwari. Auxillia would find time to fetch fresh water, wash plates, clean the yard and prepare a meal for the elderly woman. I have personally learnt my lesson from this; one does not have to wait until one gets rich in order to help others!
“The philanthropy that we all see today on the part of the First Lady of the Republic of Zimbabwe did not begin just now. It runs in her veins. It started almost half a century ago when she never dreamt of her new station in her life of today.
“Auxillia enjoyed sport. Her netball skills were a marvel. I remember during the winter inter-schools games how she helped Kakora lift the trophy. During the final moments of the game, the teams were tied. We were on home ground. The fans had swelled around the small netball pitch. It was a nail-biting finish and Kakora had to win. Auxillia dribbled her way past the defence and there she was standing in a scoring position.
“For a moment, there was dead silence, then, in spontaneous unison, the crowd started singing Auxy, Auxy, Auxy, Auxy Auxy. Indeed, Auxillia was a sharp shooter. She was known for that. She would never disappoint. With her steady right hand holding the ball, she adjusted her posture, took aim and with a gentle leap forward, she scored!
“Your Excellency, that goal was symbolic. It is common knowledge that the First Lady of Zimbabwe has scored many more transformational goals. Today we are gathered here to celebrate yet another huge PhD goal. I know that a PhD is not a walk in the park. It is no mean achievement,” he said.
