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Chinhoyi Bureau
The five Usaiwataka family members who perished in a road accident on Sunday were buried yesterday at Chemagamba Cemetery in Chinhoyi during a funeral that attracted hundreds of relatives, friends and sympathisers. Carrying the weight of a wiped out family, the funeral soon ceased to be that of the Usaiwatakas alone as politicians, businesspeople, workmates and the general public converged to pay their last respects.
As the five hearses that were provided by a local funeral parlour (Doves Morgan) slowly made their way to Cooksey Memorial Hall for a church service and body viewing, so did people from all walks of life.
David Usaiwataka (40), his wife Edna (30) and children Nathaniel (10), Mishkan (4) and Anodiwanashe (1) all died when their vehicle collided head-on with an oncoming vehicle at the 80km peg along the Harare-Chirundu highway.
The oncoming vehicle encroached into their lane after failing to negotiate a curve.
Speaker after speaker chronicled how the family was a beacon of hope and steadfastness in their chosen faith Christianity.
“He was a committed man to the things of God and came across as a straightforward person who was not afraid to tell the truth. David shared the same traits with his wife,” said Pastor Kapita of Glad Tidings Church who worked with the couple for a long time.
David’s sister, Mrs Hazvinei Makanjera, said the wound would take long to heal as an entire family had been erased with no one left to carry the family name.
Chinhoyi Mayor Mr Test Micheals said the family should take solace in the fact that it is God who gives and takes life.
“If someone lends you his pen and later comes saying he wants it back, you will give them back without being disappointed because you know it’s the owner. God gives and takes,” he said.
The family was laid to rest side by side in an emotional send-off that had some relatives fainting during body viewing as they could not stomach the sight of their loved ones lying lifeless.
Online Reporter