The Sunday News
Vusumuzi Dube in Mberengwa
THE widow of the late Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, Lieutenant-General (Retired) Sibusiso Moyo, Justice Loice Matanda-Moyo has described her late husband as a hard worker who had the zeal to serve the nation.
Justice Matanda-Moyo was speaking during a memorial service of the late National Hero which was held at the Moyo homestead in Mberengwa District, Midlands province yesterday. In an emotional speech, while being comforted by her son, named after the late Minister, Mr Sibusiso Brandon Moyo, Justice Matanda-Moyo described her husband, who died in January, as one who would always want to work even while ill.
“I remember one time when I had gone to visit him at the hospital, it was just after lunch and I was hungry, I was now a familiar face at the hospital and they now called me matron, I said to the hospital staff; give your matron something to eat, which they obliged.
“Now, SB was seated by the verandah and I left my keys on his bed saying I wanted to sit with him as I ate, instead he said he was tired and wanted to go rest, little did I know that this was a ploy.
He took my keys, drove my car to work. When I finished eating I couldn’t find him, when I asked the hospital staff they told me, they saw him wearing his suit and rushing towards my car.
When I called his office I was told he was already in a meeting, that is the SB we know, the hard worker,” said Justice Matanda-Moyo.
She revealed that even during his time while in the military, Lt-Gen (Rtd) Moyo was always working, even hardly taking any vacation leave days.
Justice Matanda-Moyo further revealed that the late Lt-Gen(Rtd) Moyo was stubborn with his dedication to his duties, such that at times she would have to request him from President Mnangagwa when he was refusing to leave meetings with the President and Vice-President Dr Constantino Chiwenga so as to get medical attention.
“I remember when he was Commander 6th Brigade being deputised by the late Colonel Kufa, who one day came to our home just to attack his boss because Dr Moyo did not want to take vacation leave days. He (Col Kufa) said he would end up dying without acting as a commander.
He even suggested that if it so happened that the late Dr Moyo was going to lose his wife he would send Col Kufa to go bury her on his behalf.
“The very next day Dr Moyo took his vacation leave, leaving Col Kufa in charge. Col Kufa was so excited, he actually came to our house the following week celebrating that he had finally commanded the Brigade.
That is the man my late husband was,” said Justice Matanda-Moyo.
She said as a family man, Dr Moyo was a loving and caring husband and father who even at a time when he was not feeling well, would constantly encourage his family that everything was okay.
“Busi was my best friend who I confided to all my secrets, and him like wise.
My deepest pain is that I failed to bid him farewell when he passed on, at one point I even considered requesting the keys to his coffin from the President.
“I have attended funerals of people who had lost their partners, I never knew how painful it was, what I can tell you is that losing a partner is very painful, it’s like being torn apart very violently, it is something which I can honestly not describe.
However, I thank the President and the Government for conferring my late husband with the National Hero status,” said Justice Matanda-Moyo.
Speaking at the same occasion, Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, Professor Amon Murwira concurred with Justice Matanda-Moyo’s sentiments revealing that every time he was asked to act in Dr Moyo’s position, the late National Hero was always hands on continuously following up on Ministerial issues.
“I was fortunate to have closely worked with Dr Moyo because most of the time when he was not in office, the President would appoint me to act in his capacity hence we had a very close working relationship together with the staff from the Foreign Affairs Ministry.
What I can tell the President today is that indeed Dr Moyo was a workaholic, even when I was acting in his ministry and he was away on vacation leave he would call me for over an hour briefing me on how he would like things to be in the ministry,” said Prof Murwira.
