Victoria Chitepo
| Victoria Chitepo | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | March 27, 1928 |
| Died | April 8, 2016 (aged 88) |
| Nationality | Zimbabwe |
| Occupation |
|
| Employer | Zanu-PF |
| Known for | Spouse of Herbert Chitepo |
| Political party | Zimbabwe African National Union Patriotic Front |
| Spouse(s) | Herbert Chitepo |
| Children | Dr. Thokozile Chitepo, Zanele Chitepo |
Victoria Chitepo was a politician and member of the Zanu-PF Central Committee. She was the wife of the late liberation war fighter, Herbert Chitepo. She was elected to the House of Assembly in 1980.
Personal Details
Born:
Marriage: She married Herbert Chitepo in Durban on 29 November 1955.
Death: She passed away on 8 April 2016. She is survived by four children and grandchildren. She was declared a national hero and laid to rest at the National Heroes Acre in Harare.
School / Education
No information could be found on her Junior or High School, or any tertiary education.
Service / Career
During Zimbabwe's struggle for independence, Chitepo organised women to march in protest and co-ordinated care for detainees who were in prisons in places such as Marondera and Sikhombela. [1] From 1980 to 1982 Chitepo was Deputy Minister for Education and Culture. She was then appointed Minister of National Resources and Tourism in 1982 and served in that position until 1990. From 1990 to 1992 she served as Minister for Information, Post and Telecommunications and Minister of Local Government. She also served as Member of Parliament in Manicaland’s Mutasa and Buhera West Constituencies between 1980 and 1995.
In the Zimbabwe 1985 Parliamentary Election, Mutasa returned to Parliament:
- Victoria Fikile Chitepo, Zanu PF - 28 529 votes.
- King Itai David Mutasa, UANC - 1 555 votes.
- Misheck Tenia Samuel Chinamasa PF-ZAPU - 273 votes.
In the 1990 Parliamentary Election (see A History of Zimbabwean Elections) Buhera West returned to Parliament:
- Victoria Chitepo of Zanu PF with 9 988 votes,
- Denny Munetsi of ZUM with 58 votes.
Turnout - 10 386
In 1987, Victoria Chitepo was the Minister of Natural Resources and Tourism - in 2022, Ministry of Tourism and Hospitality Industry and Ministry of Environment, Tourism, Climate Change and Hospitality Industry. Then, it was responsible for the protection and conservation of natural resources and administered the Department of National Parks and Wild Life Management. It also promoted tourism and owned hotels. [2]
,
Other Positions Held
- Chitepo was United Nations eminent person and special advisor to United Nations Secretary-General Mr Boutros Boutros Ghali on the preparation for the Fourth World Conference on Women (1994-1995).
- Women Voters Association of Zimbabwe chairperson (1995)
- Member of the Commonwealth observer group of the Kenyan elections (1992).
- Member of the Commonwealth Mission to South Africa (Comsa III) in 1993, replacing Justice Simbi Mubako.
Further Information
- She was awarded an honorary Doctor of Philosophy in Tourism and Hospitality Management Degree for her contribution to national development in 2010.
- She was buried on the same day that Vivian Mwashita was buried. Mwashita also died on the 8th of April.
References
- ↑ Victoria Chitepo found dead, The Herald, Published:9 April 2016 , Retrieved: 10 April 2016
- ↑ [Katherine Sayce (Ed), Tabex, Encyclopedia Zimbabwe], Tabex, Encyclopedia Zimbabwe, (Quest Publishing, Harare, 1987), Retrieved: 3 August 2022
