The Sunday News
Rutendo Nyeve, Sunday News Reporter
THE Government of Zimbabwe has through the cabinet resolved to honour the Angel of Hope Foundation in recognition of its dedication to the betterment of humanity through rendering humanitarian service.
The Angel of Hope which is the brainchild of the First Lady Amai Auxillia Mnangagwa will be honoured together with Dr Sikhulile Moyo, Dr Agnes Mahomva and Ambassador Mary Mubi after being found befitting of honour for their various excellence in flying the nation’s flag high.
The two doctors have been recognised following the exceptional work they did during the Covid 19 pandemic while Ambassador Mubi has been recognized for branding the country well in various global expos.
This was revealed by the Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Senator Monica Mutsvangwa during a post-cabinet briefing on Tuesday. She said the Angel of Hope Foundation will be conferred with the Jairos Jiri Humanitarian Award in Gold, in recognition of its dedication to the betterment of humanity through rendering humanitarian service.
“Cabinet resolved to honour Dr. Sikhulile Moyo, the Angel of Hope Foundation, Ambassador Mary Mubi and Dr. Agnes Mahomva. The Angel of Hope Foundation is a vehicle that Dr. Auxillia Mnangagwa, the First Lady, uses to carry out her social responsibility work.
“The Foundation is leading communities in fighting drug and substance abuse, child marriages and teen pregnancies, moral decay, and is championing cultural revitalization and environmental protection,” she said.
Also joining the honours is Dr Moyo who was born and bred in Kezi, Matabeleland South Province, who will be bestowed with the second highest honour after the ceremonial Grand Master of the Legion of Merit which is conferred on Zimbabweans for supreme sacrifice in the development and survival of the nation.
Dr Moyo will be bestowed with the Order of the Great Zimbabwe Award in Silver. The Order of the Great Zimbabwe is the second highest after the ceremonial Grand Master of the Legion of Merit and is conferred on Zimbabweans for supreme sacrifice in the development and survival of the nation.
“Dr Moyo is being considered for recognition for identifying the Omnicron variant of the COVID-19 Virus in November 2021 while he was stationed at the Botswana Harvard AIDS Institute Laboratory. He has received other accolades for his distinguished work, and it is befitting that Zimbabwe honours him among its illustrious sons who have stood up to be counted among the world’s best,” she said.
Amb Mubi and Dr Mahomva will be conferred with the Order of the Star of Zimbabwe Award in Silver.
“Amb Mubi led the showcasing of Zimbabwe to the world in two world expos, the Milan World Expo 2015 in Italy as Deputy Commissioner-General and the 2020 Expo Dubai of 2021 to 2022 as Commissioner-General. Ambassador Mubi also led the National Branding exercise on Zimbabwe, where provinces were able to establish areas of sustainable competitive advantage, which work is feeding into the current branding exercise. In these roles she has ensured that Zimbabwe’s story is told, at the same time providing an additional platform for re-engagement and attracting the much-needed foreign direct investment.
“Dr Mahomva exceptionally coordinated Zimbabwe’s response to the COVID-19 Virus Pandemic. She is a distingushed public health practitioner of more than 30 years’ experience. She was thrust in the hot seat and entrusted with ensuring that Zimbabwe mounted a robust response to the Pandemic, and developed a coordination mechanism that was as agile as it was efficient and effective. Her coordination meant that Zimbabwe was always on top of the Pandemic, leading to the global recognition of Zimbabwe’s exceptional response which saved innumerable lives,” she said.
Meanwhile, Government has also resolved to erect the statues of former President Robert Mugabe as well as former Vice President Joshua Nkomo in Harare.
“The statue of Cde. R.G. Mugabe will be erected at the Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport, while the second Dr. J.M.N. Nkomo statue will be erected at the trumpet interchange at the intersection of Joshua Mqabuko Nyongolo Nkomo and Glenara Roads.
“In honour of the late nationalist and first black medical doctor and physician and first Vice President of the Zimbabwe African People’s Union (ZAPU), the late Dr. Tichafa Samuel Parirenyatwa, a statue will be erected at an appropriate entrance to the Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals. Heany Junction, the place where his body was dumped having been killed at Shangani, will also be renamed after him and a granite pedestal erected to signify and memorialize the site,” she said.
The Second Republic has since 2021 consistently honoured deserving Zimbabweans who have been found befitting of recognition. The underlying ethos behind the Honours and Awards is to create an increasing pool of inspirational role models for the wider citizenry.
@nyeve14
