Zimbabweans shocked at death of great humanitarian Sheba Dube

By Tererai Karimakwenda
08 February 2006

On Tuesday morning, Zimbabweans suffered a great loss when the well-known humanitarian Sheba Dube Phiri died unexpectedly while attending a conference just outside of Bulawayo. Many Zimbabweans say they are in shock as the woman they affectionately called Auntie Sheba had been fine on Friday. That night she received the "Truth and Justice Award for Zimbabwe" from the newly formed Zimbabwe Christian Alliance, along with the Bulawayo Archbishop Pius Ncube. As founder and caretaker of The Providence Caregivers and Orphans Trust, Sheba Dube changed the lives of many orphaned children and widows in Zimbabwe. She had a warm, personal and grassroots approach that brought happiness to many whose lives she touched.

In her own home, Aunt Sheba was taking care of her own daughter plus 6 orphans she adopted. The Reverend Martine Stemerick, a very close friend who helped raise funds for the children, told us Auntie Sheba died of cardiac failure caused by hypertension. She was a hard working woman who penetrated the remote rural areas bringing help to the needy. Reverend Stemerick said she seemed to be in good health on Monday when she left for the conference outside of Bulawayo. But she fell sick after dinner at the conference, and was gone the very next morning.

In her acceptance speech to the pastors of the Christian Alliance on Friday, Auntie Sheba called upon the church to stand up for the poorest of the poor and to be prophets. Reverend Stemerick said Sheba was a model of that prophetic voice and will be missed by many. Tragically, her orphans will be the ones who suffer most.