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Article: "Maybe I came out of the Guinness Book of Records": Zimbabwe's first woman vice president, Joice Teurai Ropa Mujuru, talks to New African and says if her people and party decide that she is the right candidate to carry the torch after President Mugabe, she will gladly accept the challenge.(The Presidium)(Interview)
- Article from:
- African Business
- Article date:
- June 1, 2005
- Author:
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From the outside, Joice Teurai Ropa Mujuru, 50, appears to be the new girl on the block in Zimbabwe. But she is not! Born on 15 April 1955 at Mount Darwin, she has been in the cabinet for 25 unbroken years--in fact since independence in 1980! A freedom fighter of some repute, she shot down an enemy helicopter on her 19th birthday in 1974, after only a year of basic training as a fighter. She was made a commander in 1975 and for the next two years she conducted political and military training for recruits.
She has since held various positions in government and the ruling ZANU-PF party, including head of ZANU's women department and member of the Central Committee ...