By A Correspondent-President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s inner circle descended on Chivi, Masvingo Province, Friday for the lavish burial of Alice Pote, the 33-year-old business prodigy and close family associate, in a display that blurred the lines between funeral, political rally, and state-sponsored spectacle.

What was expected to be a solemn farewell transformed into a grandiose, high-powered send-off marked by pomp, feasting, and political theatrics.

Pote, a director at Pote Holdings and owner of the popular Stallion Cruise Bus Company, died last Monday from acute respiratory failure and a pulmonary embolism.

Yet even in death, she commanded attention. Her burial brought together a who’s who of the ruling elite, led by President Mnangagwa’s younger brother, Patrick Mnangagwa, who attended on behalf of the First Family.

Also present were Midlands Provincial Affairs Minister Owen Ncube, Masvingo Provincial Affairs Minister Ezra Chadzamira, Deputy Health Minister Sleiman Kwidini, and several other senior government officials.

Mourners travelled from across Zimbabwe and beyond, including a delegation from Dubai effectively grinding business to a halt in Zvishavane and parts of Masvingo as thousands gathered to honour a woman remembered for her charisma, ambition, and meteoric rise in the male-dominated transport industry.

The Pote family spared no expense. In what felt like a state banquet, 10 cattle, 50 pigs, and 500 chickens were slaughtered to feed the masses.

The atmosphere was festive, complete with music, dancing, ululating, and endless praise, an extravagant celebration of a life lived boldly and unapologetically.

“She was a lioness,” one mourner said. “She didn’t wait for opportunities — she created them.”

Though she hailed from a family of powerful entrepreneurs, Alice carved her own path. Her Stallion Cruise buses became symbols of her relentless work ethic, and she emerged as a role model for aspiring women entrepreneurs, especially those from rural communities.

The presence of ZANU PF heavyweights and government dignitaries added a political charge to the event, with many quietly interpreting the funeral as a public show of the Pote family’s deepening ties to the Mnangagwa administration, a bold reminder of their growing influence.

Yes, tears were shed, but it was the sheer scale of the spectacle, the political undertones, and the audacious celebration of success that defined the day.

Alice Pote is gone, but her farewell was nothing short of legendary.