Jairos Jiri ' s Family Tear each other apart
n ....family members slam “False narrative, label Ethel, the true, surviving spouse n nn n By Dumisani Ndlovu n nn n GWERU— The Jiri family has strongly condemned what they describe as a distortion of history following the recent honouring
anostrofy ....family members slam “False narrative, label Ethel, the true, surviving spouse
By Dumisani Ndlovu
GWERU— The Jiri family has strongly condemned what they describe as a distortion of history following the recent honouring of Betty Jiri with the Founder’s Special Recognition Award under the banner Zimbabwe Achievers Awards by the 2025 Global ZAA Fellow.
The award which came shortly after the Second Republic of Zimbabwe officially recognized and celebrated Jairos Jiri’s legacy, has sparked outrage among family members who insist that Betty’s role in the movement has been grossly overstated.
The family disputes the implication that Betty Jiri was the initiator of the Jairos Jiri Association or the home-care model for persons with disabilities in Zimbabwe. They argue that while Betty was once married to Jairos, she was divorced from him long before his death—and that the true surviving spouse was the late Ethel Jiri, who remained by Jairos’s side until his passing.
“Let me categorically put the record straight,” said Fungai Jiri, daughter of Ethel Jiri. “My mother was the last and legally recognized wife of Jairos Jiri. She was with him until the end and played a vital role in sustaining the Association’s mission. To honour someone else as the founder or matriarch is not only inaccurate—it’s a painful rewriting of our family’s truth.”
“My mother respected Betty’s place in the past,” Fungai explained. “But she was deeply concerned that Betty was being used by opportunists—individuals seeking to exploit my mother’s rich and unblemished legacy for personal gain. She saw through the attempts to milk her history down to the last dot.”
The family further clarified that Jairos Jiri had married and divorced four times, and that Betty was one of his former spouses—not the widow, as some narratives have suggested.
“We are not denying that Betty may have contributed in her own way,” said Nyasha Jiri, family spokesperson. “But the Jairos Jiri Association was founded by Jairos himself, before Betty entered his life. The recognition she received implies she initiated the movement, which is simply not true. Ethel Jiri was the woman who stood beside him during the most critical years and deserves to be remembered as the true matriarch.”
The controversy has reignited public debate around historical accuracy, legacy, and the politics of recognition. While Betty Jiri’s supporters hail her as a compassionate figure in disability care, the Jiri family insists that any honour must reflect the full truth—not a selective retelling.
As the dust settles, the story of Zimbabwe’s disability movement remains a deeply human one—marked by devotion, sacrifice, and contested memories that demand careful preservation.
