Staff ReporterHarare, Zimbabwe – The government of Zimbabwe has announced that it will provide a state-assisted funeral for the late mbira maestro, Mbuya Stella Chiweshe. The Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet, Dr Misheck Sibanda, announced the decision in a statement, stating that the Acting President, Dr Constantino Dominic Guveya Nyikadzino Chiwenga, made the decision after consulting with President Dr Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa.
According to the statement, all expenses related to the interment of Mbuya Stella Chiweshe will be covered by the state. The President and Acting President extend their deepest condolences to the Chiweshe and Reich families on this sad loss. Dr Sibanda also noted that Mbuya Stella Chiweshe was a musical icon who represented Zimbabwe’s cultural excellence through her work in the Mbira Dzavadzimu genre and brought it to the international stage.
Mbuya Stella Chiweshe passed away on Friday morning at her home in Kuwadzana, Harare at the age of 76 due to cancer of the brain. She was a renowned Mbira player, known for her contributions to the preservation and promotion of the genre, both in Zimbabwe and internationally.
The news of Mbuya Stella Chiweshe’s passing has been met with great sorrow by the music community in Zimbabwe and around the world, who have taken to social media to pay tribute to her contributions to the cultural heritage of the country. Many have praised the government’s decision to provide a state-assisted funeral for her, recognizing her as a national treasure.
The funeral arrangements for Mbuya Stella Chiweshe will be announced by the government in due course. The President and Acting President, as well as the people of Zimbabwe, extend their deepest sympathy to the bereaved families.