Story by Peter Chivhima
THE body of the late National Heroine, Air Vice Marshal (Retired) Winnie Mandeya, was flown to her rural home in Chiendambuya, Manicaland Province, accompanied by family members who expressed deep gratitude to the government for honouring her with national heroine status.
Family members described the recognition as a fulfilment of the late senior air officer’s final wishes.
“I want to thank the government for according to our Winnie, national heroine status, they have fulfilled her wishes. We are mourning her death but at the same time we are humbled,” a relative said.
“As the family, we are happy that our daughter’s wishes have been fulfilled,” another relative said.
To them, her death has left a huge void which will be difficult to fill.
“We have lost a mother in our family, tete Winnie was always there for us. Whenever there was a challenge, we knew we were covered, ” a relative added.
Born on July 14, 1960, in Rusape, Air Vice Marshal Retired Mandeya joined the liberation struggle in 1975 at the age of 15 and survived the Nyadzonia attack.
After receiving military training in Nachingweya, Tanzania in 1976, Air Vice Marshal Retired Mandeya was deployed to Gaza Province, Mozambique, where she served in the medical corps.
After the Nyadzonia attack, Air Vice Marshal (Retired) Mandeya participated in the construction of barracks along Nyadzonia River.
At ceasefire, the late AFZ senior officer remained with other Comrades in Mozambique and only returned to a new Zimbabwe in 1980, along with the last group of patients.
The body is expected back in Harare this afternoon where it will lie in state ahead of burial at the National Heroes Acre on Friday.
