Mildred Desouza

GWERU -The Midlands province was plunged into mourning again following the untimely death of liberation heroine Cde. Alice Katsaka at the age of 56.

Cde.Katsaka, whose Chimurenga name was Sister Alice, was laid to rest at the provincial heroes’ acre in Gweru last Saturday.

Her a death, came hardly a week after another liberation heroine Cde. Irene “Madharaboy” Ncube was interred at the provincial heroes’ shrine.

Cde Alice popularly known as Lizzy passed away on July 18 at the Midlands Provincial Hospital after a short illness.

She survived by one daughter and four grandchildren.

Minister of State for Midlands Affairs, Larry Mavima said he was saddened by the passing on of Sister Alice, as it was a great loss to the province.

“We are saddened by the death of the daughter of the soil who dedicated her life to the Chimurenga struggle and even continued doing great work for the nationa after the struggle.

“It is a great loss, just a week ago, we buried again a gallant daughter of the soil and before we could breathe again we experiencing another death,”

Sister Alice was born on 10 February 1963 in Chivi District. In 1977, she joined the liberation struggle as Chimbwido (war collaborator) in Gaza Province.

“She was forced to stay in the bush after the Rhodesian Forces realized her participation. The Rhodesian Forces killed her father and that did not stop her from participating until it was ceasefire in 1980,” said Sen. Mavima.

After the Zimbabwe gained independence in 1980, Sister Alice moved to Gweru where she was an active member of ZANU-PF and was also involved with charity work as she was also an active member of Murombo munhu which helped the poor in the society