Chari laid to rest

Collen Murahwa Herald Reporter
Zimpapers chief sub-editor Slydon Chari, who died on Sunday aged 56, was buried yesterday at Glen Forest Memorial Park in Harare, where speakers described him as a mentor, unifier and a leader.

In his eulogy, Zimpapers editorial executive William Chikoto described Chari as a humble and dedicated employee who served the organisation with distinction.

“He was humble and responsible and for all the years he worked, he never had any form of indiscipline,” he said.

“He came at Zimpapers as an apprentice and rose through the ranks to become a chief sub-editor.

“He was dedicated and well knowledgeable about his country. He was training our juniors, so it is a huge loss to our organisation.”

Chari’s daughter, Tinotenda, described her father as a principled man who seemed to have solutions to every problem in the family.

“He was a great man, a very nice man, my mentor, a leader, who had final answers to everything,” she said. “He groomed me to be who I am and now I know life because of him.”

Mr Munyaradzi Nyamhunga, brother to Chari, described him as a unifier who held the family together in the absence of their older family members who reside outside the country.

“We looked up to him as our elder brother since the eldest members of our family are outside the country,” he said. “He managed to hold the family together and this is indeed a huge loss to the family.

“We are still trying to come to terms with the nature of death since we thought it was just a minor illness, which did not look as though it was life threatening and we thought his admission to hospital was just routine, only to end up losing him.”

Chari’s childhood friend, Mr David Chihumba said; “We were friends for many years since 1966 and we were together at primary school and were only separated at secondary school.

“For all the years we were friends, there is not a single day I remember him quarrelling over anything. Yes, we shall all die, death will definitely come for all of us, but it is painful.”

Affectionately known as Uncle Sly by his workmates at Zimpapers, Chari died at Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals on Sunday morning, a day shy of his 57th birthday.

Chari is survived by his wife Dorothy and three children — Charles, Gladys and Tinotenda.