Chenjerai Hove Laid to Rest
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Chenjerai Hove Laid to Rest

Chenjerai Hove, one of Zimbabwe’s leading novelists and poet, who died in Oslo, Norway, recently at the age 59 of liver failure, was buried on Sunday .

 Chenjerai Hove Laid to rest: a guiding light of southern African literature. Photograph: Murdo MacLeod
Chenjerai Hove Laid to rest: a guiding light of southern African literature. Photograph: Murdo MacLeod

His  daughter Tambudzai posted on facebook “It is done. My dear father was laid to rest with friends and relatives bidding him farewell. Thank you so much for your prayers and support. May the Lord bless each and everyone a thousandfold for what you have done for my family. I am so amazed at the love that carried us through this great ordeal. The Hove family, i thank you all. So long Dad. Til we meet again. Love you”.

Hove, who was living in exile since 2001, is an icon of modern Zimbabwean literature having published a number novels including his 1988 book “Bones” that won him a Zimbabwe Literary Award and a Noma Award for Publishing in Africa.

 

Family spokesperson Ray Mawerera said the family is heartened by the outpouring of love that is being given to the family by Zimbabweans mourning the death of a literary icon.

“His death has devastated the family and many in Zimbabwe have been mourning with us,” said Mawerera.

“It has been great to realize how Zimbabweans so highly regarded Chenjerai Hove. Our wish is that people in this country continue to cherish the work he did, his ideals, his humour and candour in telling the Zimbabwean story in a way that only he could.”

Hove, who has since 2001 lived in exile in the US, France and Norway,  was seen by many as a voice for the voiceless.

While in exile, he continued to write poems about his country, depicting the pain of separation and related issues.

He also contributed a play and proverbs to the BBC.

“It is sad that we are today talking about Chenjerai Hove the great writer, novelist, poet and playwright in the past tense. This is gone too soon for sure,” said Mawerera.

He was buried in Gokwe.

http://www.theguardian.com/global/2015/jul/26/chenjerai-hove-appreciation-by-elinor-sisulu-obituary-national-treasure-zimbabwe-mugabe

READ HIS OBITUARY HERE

 

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