HARARE
Former Zimbabwean High Commissioner to Namibia Stanislaus Chigwedere has died. He was 61.
Chigwedere was appointed Public Service Commissioner after being recalled to Harare early this year. He was a career diplomat. Chigwedere died at a private clinic in Harare, Zimbabwe on Saturday evening.
He was diabetic and had one of his legs amputated.
Chigwedere was appointed commissioner in March this year after a stint as Zimbabwe’s Ambassador to Namibia from 2002 to 2007.
He was the country’s ambassador to Canada from 1985 to 1989, and Zimbabwe’s Ambassador to the United States from 1989 to 1992. The diplomat was Secretary for Foreign Affairs between 1992 and 1994 and Secretary for Education from 1995 to 1997. From 1997 to 2001, he was appointed Public Service Commissioner before he returned to diplomatic service when he was posted to Namibia.
Born on March 3, 1946, Chigwedere attended St Mary’s Wedza for his primary school and St Ignatius for secondary education from 1963 to 1969.
He then enrolled for a Bachelor of Arts Honours degree in English with the University of Zimbabwe from 1970 to 1972. At the university, he played an active role in the liberation struggle, together with nationalists like Harare provincial metropolitan Governor, David Karimanzira and Dr Thompson Tsodzo, who is now a director in the office of the president and cabinet. From the university, he taught at various secondary schools before he became the first black editor of Hansard, a parliamentary book that records verbatim proceedings in the House, in 1980. The diplomat was also the first principal private secretary to the then Prime Minister of Zimbabwe, Robert Mugabe in 1980.
Chigwedere is survived by his wife, Lillian, and three daughters. Burial arrangements will be announced in due course. Mourners are gathered at Dudley Farm near Marondera. – The Herald