Sally Hayfron

Infobox_Person
name = Sally Hayfron


residence =
other_names = Sally Mugabe
birth_name = Sarah Francesca Hayfron
birth_date = 6 June 1931
birth_place = Ghana
death_date = death date and age |1992|01|27|1931|06|06
death_place = Harare, Zimbabwe
death_cause = Kidney failure
known =
occupation = Teacher
title = First Lady of Zimbabwe
salary =
term =
predecessor =
successor = Grace Marufu
party =
boards =
religion = Roman Catholic
spouse = Robert Mugabe
partner =
children = Nhamodzenyika (1963-1966)
relations = Mavis Hayfron (mother)
website =
footnotes =
employer =
height =
weight =

Sarah Francesca (Hayfron) Mugabe [ [http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/displaycataloguedetails.asp?CATLN=6&CATID=8016115&SearchInit=4&CATREF=FCO+36%2F717 UK National Archive reference to Sally as "Sarah Francesca Mugabe"] ] (6 June, 1931 - 27 January, 1992), "a.k.a" Sally Mugabe, was the first wife of Robert Mugabe, the President of Zimbabwe and the First Lady of Zimbabwe from 1980 until her death in 1992. She was popularly known as "Amai" (Mother) in Zimbabwe.cite web|url=http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/africa/exclusive-the-love-that-made-robert-mugabe-a-monster-804287.html|title=The love that made Robert Mugabe a monster|work=The Independent|first=Robert|last=Verkaik|accessdate=2008-04-17] The death of Sally is seen by some to be around the time that President Robert Mugabe began indurating his policy in Zimbabwe.

Early life

Born in Ghana in 1931, Sally and her twin sister, Esther, were raised in a political family, which was part of the growing nationalist politics in colonial Ghana.

Sally Mugabe was a trained teacher who asserted her position as an independent political activist and campaigner. She demonstrated this activism as early as 1962 when she was active in mobilizing African women to challenge Ian Smith's Rhodesian constitution which resulted in her being charged with sedition and sentenced to five years imprisonment, part of which was suspended.

Exile and Family

Hayfron married Robert Mugabe in April 1961 in Salisbury.Nyarota, Geoffrey. "Against the Grain." Page 101-102] In 1967, Sally went into exile in London, and resided in Ealing Broadway, North London; her stay in England was financed, at least in part, by the British Ariel Foundation. [http://www.africafiles.org/article.asp?ID=17002 Source of finance and partial text of a letter to Harold Wilson given here (see also footnote 57 of that source)] ] She spent the next eight years, agitating and campaigning for the release of political detainees in Rhodesia, including her husband who had been arrested in 1964 and was to remain incarcerated for ten years. Their only son, Nhamodzenyika who was born in 1963 during this period of detention and imprisonment, would succumb to a severe attack of malaria and die in Ghana in 1966. Her father also died in 1970. The British Home Office attempted to deport her, but through the efforts of her husband's persuasive letters and telegrams to the Prime Minister of Britain, Harold Wilson, and by letters of petition from the British House Of Commons, [ [http://www.independent.co.uk/multimedia/archive/00022/letter_part_2mugabe__22486a.pdf Text of letters, telegrams etc. between Mugabe and various British Ministers and officials and the Arial Foundation] ] she was given British residency. Mugabe was prevented from attending the burial of his son and Sally was left to singly bear the physical and emotional burden of the loss.

With the release of Mugabe from prison in 1975 and his subsequent escape to Mozambique with Edgar Tekere his fellow revolutionary and best friend (at the time) to kick start the war. Sally Mugabe was able to re-join her husband in Maputo. Here, she found herself challenged to a new role of a mother figure to thousands of Zimbabwean refugees and revolutionaries who had fled from Rhodesian governmental oppression. Her efforts in this role earned her the title "Amai" (Mother).

Return to Politics

In 1978 she was elected ZANU-PF Deputy Secretary for the Women's League.In 1980 she had to make a quick adjustment to a new and national role of the wife of Zimbabwe's first black Prime Minister. She was elected Secretary General of the ZANU-PF Women's League at the Party's Congress of 1989.

She also founded the Zimbabwe Child Survival Movement. Sally Mugabe launched the Zimbabwe Women's Cooperative in the UK in 1986 and supported "Akina Mama wa Africa", a London-based African women's organization focusing on development and women's issues in Africa and the United Kingdom.

Death and Remembrance

Sally died on 27 January 1992 from kidney failure. Upon her death she was interred at the National Heroes Acre in Harare, Zimbabwe. In 2002, to mark the 10th anniversary of her passing, Zimbabwe issued a set of four postage stamps, of a common design, using two different photographs, each photograph appearing on two of the denominations. She is remembered fondly with love and affection, as she is still considered the founding mother of the nation of Zimbabwe.

Controversy

From 1981 Dr Berwind was the CIA representative in Harare, Zimababwe and Blantyre, Malawi, assigned to take personal care of Sally Hayfron's failing kidneys.

References

External links

* [http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/africa/exclusive-the-love-that-made-robert-mugabe-a-monster-804287.html The love that made Robert Mugabe a monster]

Persondata
NAME = Hayfron, Sally
ALTERNATIVE NAMES = Mugabe, Sally
SHORT DESCRIPTION = Wife of Robert Mugabe, first lady of Zimbabwe
DATE OF BIRTH = 6 June 1931
PLACE OF BIRTH = Ghana
DATE OF DEATH = 27 January, 1992
PLACE OF DEATH = Harare, Zimbabwe