Online Reporter
Bongani Ndlovu, Sunday News Reporter
THE Khumalo family will today receive the remains of their daughter, Nothabo Zandile Tshuma (née Khumalo) and her two daughters, Nala and Natalie, at the Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo International Airport in Bulawayo, marking a step towards finding closure following the devastating tragedy that claimed their lives in the United Kingdom.
The bodies are expected to arrive at the airport at 2 pm after departing from the United Kingdom yesterday and making a stopover in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, before continuing their journey to Zimbabwe.
Speaking on behalf of the family, Mr Leon Leroy Khumalo said all arrangements were in place for the arrival of their loved ones, with family members set to gather at the airport to receive them.
“All is in place for us to receive our daughter Zandile and our grandchildren, Nala and Natalie at the Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo International Airport on Sunday. The family will be at the airport to receive the bodies when they land at 2 pm,” said Mr Khumalo.
He said the family would hold a meeting at home upon the arrival to discuss the way forward as they prepare to lay their loved ones to rest.
“We shall have a meeting at home to see how best we are receiving the bodies. The MP for Luveve will be at hand as we help each other,” he said.
The repatriation of the bodies marks an important step for the family, who have been waiting for the process to be completed so that they can give Zandile and her daughters a dignified farewell in their homeland.
Mr Khumalo previously said the family’s wish was for the three to be buried in Zimbabwe, where relatives and friends could come together to mourn and find closure following the tragedy.
The family said the three would be buried on Tuesday side by side at Old Luveve Cemetery after a funeral service at Brethren in Christ Church in New Lobengula, with their bodies briefly passing through the family home in Gwabalanda.
On Thursday, more than 500 mourners gathered in Bedford, United Kingdom, to remember Zandile and her daughters, Natalie and Nala.
A remembrance service was held at Bedford’s Corn Exchange, where family, friends, colleagues and members of the community paid tribute to the 42-year-old mother and her two daughters, aged 15 and five.
Tributes described Zandile as a devoted mother who nurtured and cared for those around her, while her daughters were remembered for their kindness and bright personalities.
Natalie’s school headmistress described her as a thoughtful pupil whose smile reflected the person she was.
Zandile and her daughters Natalie, 15 and Nala, five, were found dead at their home in Great Denham, Bedfordshire, United Kingdom, in July after concerns were raised when they had not been seen for several days.
A murder investigation was launched by Bedfordshire Police, with Zandile’s husband, Ndodana Mkhanyisi Tshuma, 45, becoming the prime suspect. He was later arrested in South Africa following an international manhunt.
Forensic post-mortem examinations in the UK found that the three died from blunt force trauma.
Tshuma appeared before the Johannesburg Magistrates’ Court after his arrest and was initially charged in South Africa with unlawful possession of a firearm as authorities began the process of determining his extradition to the UK, where he faces murder allegations.
His case was postponed as authorities worked through legal processes related to his status and extradition proceedings. The tragedy has attracted widespread attention in Zimbabwe and the United Kingdom, with tributes pouring in for Zandile and her daughters from relatives, friends, schools and the wider community.
