Ambassador Stanislaus Chigwedere Dies

Former Ambassador and Zimbabwe Public Service Commissioner, Comrade Stanislaus Chigwedere passed away on the 23 rd of June 2007.

Ambassador Chigwedere served as Zimbabwe's Ambassador to Canada from 1985 to 1989 and Zimbabwe's Ambassador to the United States from 1989 to 1992. Ambassador Chigwedere also served as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' Permanent Secretary from 1992 to 1995 and as Secretary for Education from 1995 to 1997. From 1997 to 2001 he served as Public Service Commissioner and then returned to the diplomatic service as Zimbabwe's Ambassador to Namibia from 2002 to 2007. At the time of his death Ambassador Chigwedere was once again serving as a Commissioner in the Zimbabwe Public Service Commission.

Born in 1946, Ambassador Chigwedere did his primary education at Mt. St. Mary's Mission in Wedza and his secondary education at St Ignatius from 1963 to 1969. He then enrolled for a Bachelor of Arts degree in English at the University of Zimbabwe where he played an active role in the liberation struggle.

From the University of Zimbabwe Ambassador Chigwedere taught at Kutama High School, Nyamuzuwe, Hartzel, St Augustine and Waddilove Secondary Schools. Ambassador Chigwedere was the first black editor of the Zimbabwe Parliament's Hansard Report in 1980 and also the first Principal Private Secretary to the then Prime Minister, Comrade R. G. Mugabe.

Ambassador Chigwedere is survived by his wife and three daughters.

In the death of Ambassador Chigwedere the nation mourns a proven diplomat par excellence , an efficient Administrator, a dependable colleague and a departed brother. He will be sorely missed.