Former Zimbabwe Studio 263 actress dies after South Africa, Bedfordview, robbery attack which happened while she prayed
By Eric Knight
Radio54 African Panorama Broadcaster Anne Nhira passed on early morning at about 1 am today 11 March 2021.
The Queen Diva, as she was popularly known by Radio54 fans and listeners succumbed to injuries sustained after she was mugged by a solitary armed robber on Monday, 8 March 2021 late afternoon.
Anne was alone and she had gone to a nearby shopping centre for her private prayers as she routinely did every Monday. Her brother Juan Nhira called me on Tuesday morning to alert me of the incident that had happened in Bedfordview, South Africa close to the house she had moved to a few weeks ago.
She was picked up by a white good Samaritan who then arranged for her to be taken to hospital as she could not move. She got treatment and was discharged at around 5am on the same day. I requested him to go to her as I wanted to speak to her.
I managed to speak to her on his brother’s phone, but she was struggling to talk. She was groaning and complaining of severe pain on her left side. After comforting her, she managed to gather some energy to share with me some details of her ordeal.
According to her, she was kneeling and praying when she heard some footsteps from her back. When she turned, the armed robber pointed a gun to her head and he demanded that she gave him her phone.
The deceased attempted to run away, but she fell awkwardly and immediately lost consciousness. That was the last she remembered. The armed robber got away with her phone, her handbag with all the particulars that were in it.
When she regained consciousness, she realised that she was in hospital where she underwent treatment. The hospital attended to her, but strangely concluded that she was fine and that she had sustained only minor injuries.
I probed her further and tried to encourage her to tell more more, as I suspected she was worse than she was saying, judging from her voice texture and the was she was crying. At that point she told me that she had also lost her appetite and she had been vomiting blood constantly.
I immediately called our Radio54 Station Pastor Weston Muranda and our Technical Director Steve Muzite and told them about them the devastating News. She insisted that I tell no one but those two as they are part of the senior management team at Radio54.
Mr Muzite and myself immediately sent her brother some cash to help her with medical expenses and to buy herself another phone and other things that she needed urgently. She texted me using his brother’s phone to confirm that she had received the cash.
I called her immediately as i wanted to hear if there was any improvement and if the pain had subsided. She was a little better, but was still emitting blood through her mouth.
I asked her to go to hospital as blood coming through her mouth was a definite sign of internal injuries. She said she would go on the next day since it was late.
I then asked her to text me as soon as she gets a phone and she said she would do so using her brother’s wife number since she would be the one who would take her to hospital. Sadly, that was the last time I heard from her.
Anne Nhira was the Presenter of the weekly music and talk show ‘The Love and life Bites’ broadcast on Radio54 every Tuesday evening and also ‘The Real African Talk’ Show every Saturday evening where she would invite prominent guests to tackle issues affecting the continent Africa.
Some of the guests she has hosted include Professor P.L.O Lumumba, an outspoken Kenyan Pan Africanist and Lawyer. Radio54 will be broadcasting a tribute to Anne Nhira next Tuesday that I will personally host in remembrance to one of Zimbabwe and Africa’s greatest talents and daughter of the soil.
At the time of this publication, her family were, preparing for the repatriation of her body to Zimbabwe, where she will be laid to rest. We will advise of further details.
Rest In Peace ‘The Queen Diva’. You shall forever be missed my special friend.
