Minister of State for Masvingo Provincial Affairs Shuvai Mahofa has died. She was 76.

Family members who spoke to ZBC News said she collapsed at her home in Rhodene, around 3am after complaining of failing to breathe properly. She was rushed to Makurura Memorial Hospital and was pronounced dead upon arrival. Close family members and the Masvingo Zanu PF provincial leadership are gathered at the home.

Mahofa was a member of Zanu-PF’s politburo and the current senator for Gutu. Her death comes a week after being accused for not acknowledging Grace Mugabe when chanting a slogan.

In December 2015, she was taken ill after the ZANU-PF congress held in Victoria Falls following suspected food poisoning. Zanu-PF however dismissed such allegations. She spent nearly three months in a private South African hospital, and only resumed her duties in April 2016. But, close family members dismissed the food poisoning narrative as false, saying she had a chronic heart and kidney problem. At the 2016 conference held at the Masvingo showgrounds, Mahofa was often seen driving home each time food was being served in the VVIP tent.