Online Reporter
Patrick Chitumba Zimpapers Reporter
DNA results for the seven children who perished in a commuter omnibus inferno on their way home from school in Gweru will be released tomorrow (Monday), with Doves Funeral Service taking care of all the burials at dates yet to be announced.
The Government has also moved in to provide psychosocial support to pupils, teachers and families affected by the fire accident.
Chief Director for the Civil Protection Unit Mr Nathan Nkomo said the Government is shouldering all costs regarding the funerals and DNA testing.
“The Zimbabwe Republic Police Forensic Department is the one that is conducting the DNA tests and we are happy for that feat because we are not paying anything. We are waiting for the results to come out – tentatively tomorrow (Monday) and we will know the identities of the learners who succumbed to the fire.
“We used DNA samples taken from the mothers of the children and in two of the cases we have pupils who were staying with their grandparents. We are hoping the samples taken will provide the correct results,” said Mr Nkomo.
Deep tissue and bone were collected from the children to compile complete DNA profiles for positive identification.
Deoxyribonucleic (DNA) testing has been identified as a key piece of science and the state-of-the-art procedure can be used to identify individuals on the basis of their unique genetic makeup. DNA profiling also provides conclusive evidence of paternity.
Mr Nkomo further said the Government though Doves Funeral Service will take care of all burial logistics at the designated places of burials for the pupils.
Following President Mnangagwa’s declaration of the accident as a national disaster, various development partners, the Gweru City Council, Zimbabwe Red Cross Society, River Valley Group and other well-wishers have stepped in to also assist the bereaved families.
According to the CPU a huge consignment of food hampers, firewood and some tents were delivered to the different families to assist with initial preparations for the different families.
However, they said when the results from the DNA and families fully gather, more will be extended to the families for the funerals.
“Families are still making their way to the different homes and when results are out, we give the children a respectable send off with more resources being extended to them. We will hear from the families where the children will be buried and we will assist accordingly,” said the CPU.
A sombre atmosphere continues to hang over Matongo and Senga Primary Schools, where learners and staff are still struggling to come to terms with the loss of classmates and friends.
Midlands Provincial Education Director Mr Jameson Matimbira confirmed that the Government has deployed counsellors to provide psychosocial support.
“Our immediate priority is the welfare of learners. We have mobilised counselling teams to provide psychosocial support to pupils, teachers and families. We want to ensure that learners receive the assistance they need during this difficult period,” Mr Matimbira said.
Senga Primary School headmistress Ms Tambudzai Ngoma said this is a difficult moment for everyone involved, from parents and fellow pupils to teachers.
“It is a touching incident for both our school and staff. We watched everything unfold and handling parents is another challenge,” she said.
Matongo Primary School head Mrs Ethel Muwiri said counselling of teachers, pupils and parents is vital at this moment.
“This has been one of the most difficult phases for our school in conducting lessons. Supporting the community is the next step,” she said.
Investigations into the cause of the inferno are ongoing, with the driver expected to face culpable homicide charges.
Classrooms that would ordinarily be filled with learning and laughter have become spaces of reflection and mourning.
As the community mourns the loss of its learners, efforts are centred on helping survivors and their classmates find strength and hope in the aftermath of one of the province’s most tragic incidents.
The tragedy unfolded at around 1pm on Wednesday last week when a commuter omnibus carrying schoolchildren caught fire and was quickly engulfed in flames.
Of the 24 pupils on board, 17 managed to escape, but seven were trapped inside and died in the inferno.
Authorities say the exact cause of the fire is still under investigation. However, the incident has been described as one of the worst transport tragedies involving schoolchildren in recent years.
In response, President Mnangagwa declared the incident a national disaster, a move aimed at ensuring that affected families receive Government support during this difficult period.
Police confirmed that the driver, Malcolm Elvis Cook(22) and conductor, Trinity Mudhenge (18) were arrested for culpable homicide.
As condolence messages continue to pour in, most community members are still grappling with unanswered questions surrounding the tragedy.
River Valley Group (RVG) said they will provide fuel for logistical support to Matongo Primary School and other vehicles involved in coordinating funeral arrangements.
RVG chief executive officer Ambassador Smelly Dube visited the school, where she pledged to donate mealie-meal, cooking oil, meat and other foodstuffs
“I am a neighbour to this school as I live in this constituency. I was devastated when I heard about this unfortunate incident. We want to be part of the response by assisting the affected families and the school until the burials are concluded,” she said.
