For the second time in less than a month, the TRU community is mourning the loss of yet another international student. On July 11, 21-year-old student Anotida Kimberly passed away in a tragic car accident. Maziriri, a second-year Bachelor of Business Administration student from Zimbabwe, was described by peers and faculty as deeply compassionate, hardworking and full of quiet strength.
To honour her life, TRU lowered the flags on campus to half-mast on Saturday, Aug. 2. The university also confirmed it is supporting the Maziriri family during this time.
“This symbol cherishes the memory of Anotida, reminds us of the heartbreaking loss to our community, and honours the ways in which Anotida touched many people’s lives,” Mike Henry, Dean of the Bob Gaglardi School of Business and Economics, said in an email to the TRU community.
In a separate communication, TRU President Dr. Airini also offered condolences to the TRU community, saying, “[Anotida’s] death is a loss felt across our university. It is through our shared presence and care towards others that healing can begin.”
Maziriri’s family launched a GoFundMe campaign to raise funds for funeral expenses and to repatriate her body to Zimbabwe. The campaign, which has since closed, raised a total of $15,127 CAD.
Friends remember her generosity and strength
Saved Muda, who travelled with Maziriri from Zimbabwe to Canada, described her as more than a friend.
“One of my favourite memories of Anotida was when I travelled with her from [Zimbabwe] to Canada. That journey [made] me realize that I have more than a friend but a sister, seeing how she always went out of her way to encourage others, even in difficult situations. She had this bubbly energy that made you feel safe and understood – just being around her lifted your spirits,” Muda said.
Thando Mukuyu remembered the lighter moments that defined their friendship.
Mukuyu said, “Ano was such a bubbly person. She would often invite people to her house so that she [could] cook for them and play games with them, so that people could refresh and not feel lonely and it would always work. We would leave her house feeling refreshed and excited to face the rest of the week.”
Steve Sigauke, from Zimbabwe, remembered Maziriri’s boldness and work ethic.
“When we drove around Harare in a manual truck and she was behind the wheel,” Sigauke remembered, “She was always doing what people call ‘man stuff’ [like] driving manual trucks [and] doing handy jobs like house painting.”
“She inspired me to hold space for others and be kind,” Sigauke said. “Ano was the most [genuine] person you could ever come by. Everything about her was real and authentic—when she cared about you, she’d show it and you wouldn’t doubt. She wasn’t overly obsessed with impressing other people. She was who she was, and you felt it with every encounter.”
As the TRU community continues to mourn the loss of Anotida Kimberly Maziriri, her friends, classmates and mentors hold tightly to the memories she left behind. Though her life was cut tragically short, those who knew her speak of a young woman whose presence was marked by kindness, faith, and quiet strength. According to her friends, her memory lives on not just in words, but in the lives she touched and the hope she gave.