adminRay Bande Senior Reporter
BLARRING vehicle horns, discordant choruses of vulger songs, sexually suggestive dances and mourners precariously hanging as cars zig-zagged on the streets of Mutare grabbed all the attention as business came to a standstill when Montecarlos Maguza’s cortege made its way from Sakubva Lee’s Gym to Yoevil Cemetery for burial on Monday afternoon.
It was a funeral service like no other!
Popularly known in the sprawling suburb of Sakubva simply as Master Mondy, Maguza, who was into drug peddling, weightlifting and martial arts, was mourned by multitudes of people from different walks of life, but it is the unemployed and probably unemployable youths who took centre stage as they displayed all kinds of mischief on the streets.
Some who were not aware of what was happening would be forgiven to mistake the convoy for a midweek wedding party because of the hype as stoned youths showcased the monstrous effects of the drugs abused in broad daylight.
Apparently, this is not Master Mondy’s first attempt to commit suicide after he was allegedly rescued by his teenage son Douglas when he attempted to commit suicide by hanging at their 107 Chisamba family home on Christmas Eve.
Cause of death
It is widely believed that Master Mondy committed suicide owing to a tumultuous relationship with his wife and in-laws.
Police are also treating the case as suicide.
“We are treating it as a suicide case. We received a report from an informant after he had seen Montecarlos Maguza’s body lying on the ground at 100777 Grange Construction Industrial site with froth coming off the deceased’s mouth.
“A bottle of poison was seen, but the type of poison was not readily established,” said Manicaland police spokesperson Inspector Tavhiringwa Kakova.
Close friends and relatives who confided in this newspaper said Master Mondy was not happy with his relationship with his wife.
“I stayed with Master Mondy. I strongly believe that he committed suicide over family matters. He told me that his wife would not allow him to sleep on the bed with her. He was deeply hurt that his wife’s relatives would do as they wish each time they come to his home,” said Innocent Gombakomba, who claimed to be the deceased’s cousin.
A close friend who spoke on condition of anonymity said Master Mondy was worried about his wife’s alleged adulterous relationship with a yesteryear football star (name withheld).
“The football star actually called this morning and we put the call on loud speaker. Everyone who was there heard him confessing that he had been in love with Master Mondy’s wife. He was showing remorse but ended up saying he will never give up on Master Mondy’s wife.
“In fact, he said he was not aware that Master Mondy’s wife was married but latter came to know about it and could no longer resist her. He told us during that phone call that their relationship started more than five years back. In fact he also told us that he occasionally had sexual intercourses with Master Mondy’s wife in her matrimonial bedroom while the drug peddler was high on drugs, sloshed and sleeping in the bathroom. I strongly believe that led to Master Mondy committing suicide,” he said.
The deceased’s father also confirmed that there were issues between his son and his wife.
“Yes, I heard about it. They had problems in their marriage. The problem is that Mondy hardly confided in anyone and myself included. He could not divulge,” said 61-year-old Nasho Maguza.
Although Master Mondy’s wife could not be drawn into an interview owing to her state of distraught, her younger Sister Ella Mashonga denied the allegations levelled against her elder sister.
“That is not true at all. There was nothing wrong at home. Yes, people will always have differences in marriage, but their differences in marriage were not the pushing factor in this suicide case. The problem is that Master Mondy was extremely reserved,” she said.
However, there are some who still doubted that Master Mondy took his own life.
“A few days leading to his death, he was receiving dubious phone calls. Two days before he was pronounced dead, he received a phone call and was invited to a certain meeting place where he was given a big knife. He was told to use it for protection.
“He must have had dealt with dangerous criminals who wanted to kill him. Surely, how can one have poison spilt over his shirt, trousers and shoes if it was genuine suicide,” said a source who claimed to be a close relative at the funeral.
Master Mondy the man
While drama that normally characterises a man’s life is replayed in his death, it was different with Master Mondy.
During his days, Master Mondy went about his business silently, but he did not go silently!
Master Mondy had always been known as a reserved character who rarely engaged in street fights, albeit being known as one of the most lethal martial artists in Sakubva.
Those who were close to him told a story of a man that rarely confided in anyone on any given issue. While most self styled marshals in the ghetto are known for street fights and being hired to unleash violence, Master Mondy was known for solving conflicts amicably.
The funeral
As per African tradition, when one commits suicide their body is taken straight from the mortuary to the cemetery. Nonetheless, Master Mondy’s friends gathered at Lee’s Gym near Sakubva stadium to pay their last respects to a man they had grown to love and idolise.
Mourners started trooping to Lee’s Gym as early as 9 am after news filtered in that the deceased’s body would arrive at 11 am. However, the arrival of the body was deferred to 1 pm and the mourners remained patient as they kept entertained by mock martial arts displays by Master Mondy’s “students”.
But chaos broke out when Master Mondy’s body arrived at Lee’s Gym in Sakubva. The body was put inside the gym but later ejected to the nearby volleyball court as mourners jostled for a glimpse of the coffin.
Clouds of dagga smoke billowed as youths abused drugs in daylight while others were evidently stoned after abusing mentally ill patients’ drugs.
When the procession headed for the burial grounds in what was supposed to be a family-led procession, the surging crowd forced its way in and took full control of the funeral of their departed Master.
Around 3pm, Master Mondy’s remains were laid to rest.
Online Reporter