Botswana deportee buried

Sukulwenkosi Dube Plumtree Correspondent
NINETY-SEVEN year-old Alfred Khumalo, the Botswana deportee who died last month after spending a year at Plumtree District Hospital, has been buried in Plumtree by hospital staff members.
Khumalo was buried at Mathendele Cemetery on Wednesday evening after the authorities failed to locate his family.

Ward 4 councillor, Bakani Tshuma, said it was saddening that Khumalo’s relatives failed to respond to appeals that were made for them to come forward when he was hospitalised and later when he passed away.

“An elderly citizen of Zimbabwe like Khumalo deserved a proper burial and we applaud the hospital staff for giving him one. It’s just sad that his family members did not pitch up despite efforts to locate them.

“Khumalo had stayed at the hospital for more than a year and it was only proper for the residents of Plumtree to honour him,’’ said Tshuma.

Hospital staff members contributed towards buying a coffin for Khumalo, whose body spent a month in the mortuary.

At one time, they travelled to Mbembesi area in a bid to locate Khumalo’s relatives.

After his deportation in August last year, Khumalo was referred to the hospital where he stayed until the time of his death.

Khumalo was born in 1917 in Mbembesi, Bubi District and on his deportation he said he did not know anyone in the country and indicated that he preferred going back to Botswana.

Khumalo is believed to have been born to a missionary father and his mother is believed to be originally from Kwa-Zulu Natal Province in South Africa.