SABINA Mugabe suffered a stroke in 1995 and never fully recovered, her brother President Robert Mugabe said last night, hours after her death.
Sabina, 80, died at the Avenues Clinic in Harare and was declared a national heroine by the Zanu PF politburo.
She will be buried at the National Heroes’ Acre on Sunday.
Mugabe told mourners at State House -- who included Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, his two deputies as wells judges from both the Supreme and High Courts -- that Sabina suffered brain damage after the stroke.
Mugabe said: "Sabina suffered a stroke some time in 1995 and the stroke damaged part of her brain.
"Doctors said one-third of her brain had been damaged. Physically she would appear well, but mentally she became somehow confused."
He said he last saw her before leaving the country for the African Union Summit which was held in Uganda early this week.
"I visited her on my way to Uganda. She could recognise me. I looked at her and she was very frail but at least she could recognise me," President Mugabe said.
Doctors told the family she had abdominal pains which worsened Thursday morning leading to her death around 4AM on the same day.
Meanwhile, Tsvangirai said the whole country was mourning the former Zvimba South legislator.
The Prime Minister said: "We are very sorry. I remember when I was involved in an accident, she was also in the same hospital with me and this shows she has been unwell for a long time and now she has rested.
"The whole country is in mourning."
Sabina attended Kutama Day School completing her primary education in 1946.
She finished her secondary education in 1975 and also studied in Canada and the United Kingdom.
After her studies, Sabina lectured at Silveira House for 20 years.
She started her political career as a member of the National Democratic Party (NDP) and joined the Zimbabwe African People’s Union when the NDP was banned in 1961 working as an organizing secretary in Zvimba District.
She later joined Zanu PF and helped look after freedom fighters during the liberation struggle.
Sabina was elected Member of Parliament in 1985 and represented Zvimba South constituency until she retired from active politics in 2008.
She is survived by four sons, Leo, Kelvin, Patrick and Robert.