A life of strength and service, Remembering Mrs. Sikubekiso Mangena

By Regina Pasipanodya

Zimbabwe has lost yet another prominent figure from the country’s liberation history, Mrs. Sikubekiso Mangena.

Mrs. Mangena was a widow of the late national hero Comrade Rogers Alferd Nikita Mangena, and she died of an asthma attack on May 11, 2025, in Manningdale, Bulawayo.

She was 69.

Her departure from this world signifies the loss for the nation in which everyone should remember the good things she did, the things she gave up, and the things she did in those years for her country, continued the war, and other issues.

She was more than just a wife of a liberation fighter; she was an example of resilience, service, and courage in her own way even if in a quiet one.

Mrs. Mangena was among a few women of her era, who were made strong through a political firestorm.

At a time when she was not physically involved in the fighting, she was indeed one of those people who were very close to her husband’s back and never thought about leaving him because she knew how important the liberation of Zimbabwe was to her husband.

Her husband, cde Mangena, was one of the first to take up arms in the struggle.

During the time he was with the Zimbabwe People’s Revolutionary Army (ZIPRA), he was at the helm of the uprising for the freedom of Zimbabwe.

However, Mrs. Mangena is one of the ladies whose husband passed away untimely, and who, therefore, found herself as a young widow and a mother of toddlers, Loche and Lila.

As a mother of mere infants who was living in a foreign land, Mrs. Mangena could have easily taken to her bed with grief and despair; instead, but she chose to be unshakeable in her commitment to the liberation movement.

She went back to Zimbabwe in 1983, with a desire to help the newly independent country and she settled in Bulawayo, where her focus was on nurturing small children and she did it with the same love that used to carry her throughout the hard times.

Besides being a teacher, she was an educator who instilled qualities such as being strong, dedicated, and excelling in her students.

A lot of people who encountered her, to her who was also a lady of few words that oozed wisdom and a guide that knew the significance of early education in nation-building.

She has left behind her son Loche and nine grandchildren after her.

However, her daughter, Lila, died some time ago.

Though she had a life full of tragedies, she converted her losses into power and her misery into public service.


Throughout she was loyal to her family, her nation, and the basic ideas of justice and liberation that shaped her life.

In his condolence message, the Acting President, and Vice President of Zimbabwe, Hon. General (Retired) Dr. C.G.D.N. Chiwenga, acknowledged that Mrs. Mangena not only made great sacrifices but also had significant contributions.

He reassured the Mangena family that the whole nation mourns together with them in this difficult time.

“May the Mangena family know they have the support of the entire nation of Zimbabwe as they grieve for the late Mrs. Mangena. May her soul rest in eternal peace,” said Dr. Chiwenga.
The life of Mrs. Mangena is a living proof that the nation’s freedom came at a great cost, not only through the frontline fighters’ bravery but also the families who provided them with unwavering support.

As the nation says goodbye to this exceptional woman, Zimbabwe’s freedom struggle records her legacy.

She was more than just a revolutionary leader’s spouse. In addition to that, she was a representation of power, duty, and determination.

Her experience is proof that strength, when used the right way, can overcome all difficulties. Her experiences from the past show that a person is able to be tenacious, courageous, and in the end leave for the history of the world the indelible scars a tragedy can create.