Zimbabwe mourns the death of Gogo Sibikiwe Sibanda who lived for 106 years. She passed away peacefully on Tuesday after getting sick for just a short time. Her long life covered many important periods from when Britain ruled the country through independence. She watched two world wars happen and saw Zimbabwe fight for freedom from colonial control. People respected her strong Christian beliefs and the wisdom she shared with everyone.
Gogo Sibanda belonged to the Seventh Day Adventist Church her whole life. Family members say she had amazing strength and never doubted God would take care of her. She used Bible verses to teach lessons and fix problems when relatives made mistakes. Her granddaughter Saziso Nkomo says the family celebrates her life instead of crying about her death. The old woman told everyone to sing songs rather than shed tears when she died.
Her husband Nganunu Sibanda died back in 1981 leaving her alone for many years. She also lost two of her six children during her lifetime but stayed strong for the rest of her family. At her death she had four living children and dozens of grandchildren spread across five generations. The exact count shows 13 grandchildren plus 44 great-grandchildren and 12 great-great-grandchildren. Other very old Zimbabweans have also died recently after living more than 100 years each.
Gogo Sibanda belonged to the Seventh Day Adventist Church her whole life. Family members say she had amazing strength and never doubted God would take care of her. She used Bible verses to teach lessons and fix problems when relatives made mistakes. Her granddaughter Saziso Nkomo says the family celebrates her life instead of crying about her death. The old woman told everyone to sing songs rather than shed tears when she died.
Her husband Nganunu Sibanda died back in 1981 leaving her alone for many years. She also lost two of her six children during her lifetime but stayed strong for the rest of her family. At her death she had four living children and dozens of grandchildren spread across five generations. The exact count shows 13 grandchildren plus 44 great-grandchildren and 12 great-great-grandchildren. Other very old Zimbabweans have also died recently after living more than 100 years each.
