Online Reporter
Bruce Ndlovu, [email protected]
THERE was an unrestrained outpouring of grief in Nhwali, Gwanda District, Matabeleland South Province, as hundreds of people gathered to bid farewell to Lance Corporal Tumelo Dube, a member of the Presidential Guard, his wife, and their two young children.
Dube (33) died together with his wife, Antonate Sibonginkosi Mashava Dube and their two children — eight-year-old Itumeleng and one-year-old Rorisana — when their vehicle was involved in a fatal accident 10km after Shangani on Monday. Both children succumbed to the injuries while admitted to hospital.
The sight of their four graves, dug side by side at the family’s homestead, broke the hearts of many as they came to terms with the magnitude of the tragedy unfolding before them. Some fainted and had to be rushed away from the scene, while others watched on, dumbstruck, tears flowing down their faces as shovels scooped up sand to be heaped on their final resting places.
An entire family, their hopes and dreams, had been wiped out in the blink of an eye, leaving relatives, friends and colleagues to pick up the pieces of a quartered of four shattered lives.
Among mourners, who attended yesterday’s burial were Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga’s wife, Colonel Miniyothabo Baloyi-Chiwenga and the Deputy Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services, Dr Omphile Marupi.
Col Baloyi-Chiwenga, who fought back tears as she recounted Dube’s time as a dedicated member of her staff, said that even for battle-hardened members of the Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA), the death of the family had been hard to accept.
“We all know that death is our final destination. However, when it happens in the way that it has, it becomes especially painful because you realise that there is no one left to tend to the family home,” she said.
“As a family, you have lost your child, but we have also suffered a great loss. He worked in my office as a driver and I called him ‘uncle’ because my mother is also from the Dube clan. When you look at the young people he worked with, all of them are grief-stricken because none of them can understand what happened.”
Col Baloyi-Chiwenga recounted Dube’s final day at work, recalling that even on the last occasion his colleagues saw him, he was dedicated to the administration of the Lord’s Word. “On the day that this tragedy occurred, we had been with him at work, and we had gone to church with him during Easter. His colleagues told me that on the day he passed, he was ministering to them and asking if they knew what we are here on earth for,” she said.
“He then told them that we are here to spread the word of God. Everything else does not matter; that is what we are here for.”
Deputy Minister Marupi said that he had a deep connection with the Dube family, adding that their tragic deaths had been a personal blow to him.
“I would like to say that Tumelo was not someone I just got to know recently. I got to know him because of where he worked and also because my wife was close to his wife’s aunt.
“They were our children. So this tragedy is a heavy blow for us, but also for the nation at large, because we have lost a great servant,” he said.
“We had been at home for Easter and unfortunately, we heard that one of our pastors had passed away. So my wife advised that we travel to Bulawayo on Monday so we could visit the pastor’s family before returning to Harare for work.”
Doves Holdings Zimbabwe’s group public relations manager, Mr Innocent Tshuma, said the tragedy had come as a deep shock to the organisation, which organised the burial arrangements.
“The ZNA is a partner to Doves and that is why we decided to go all out to make sure that we bring as much comfort as possible to both our armed forces and the Dube family, who are processing immense grief. We wish things could be different, and this is a massive loss for the nation and us,” he said.
