admin
Thandeka Moyo and Nqobile Tshili Chronicle Reporters
A FUNERAL service for the 22 Zimbabweans gassed to death in a disused mine shaft in South Africa was held in Johannesburg yesterday ahead of the repatriation of the bodies today.Scores of Zimbabweans based in South Africa thronged a local chapel to pay their last respects at a service attended by Zimbabwe’s Consular-General Godfrey Magwenzi and officials from his office.
Kings and Queens Funeral Parlour is assisting in the repatriation of the bodies and yesterday evening the company’s chief executive officer Reuben Naran said the bodies would arrive at their Bulawayo offices at 8PM tonight.
“We held a funeral service today for our beloved Zimbabweans and we failed to accommodate more than 1, 000 people who had thronged our chapel for the service. We had to hire another large chapel to accommodate everyone who had come,” Naran said.
“All the 22 bodies will leave Johannesburg first thing tomorrow (today) at 6AM. If all goes according to plan, they will be in our Bulawayo office by 8PM. Relatives have been notified and they are ready to receive the bodies.”
One of the relatives to the 13 victims from Nkayi, Mfanyana Ncube, said families of the victims had started digging graves for burial probably at the weekend.
“I am in Maphiwa area where we are preparing for the arrival of 13 bodies to be buried in this Ward. Chiefs, kraal heads and villagers are ready for the programme and are waiting for us. We hope everything will go according to plan,” said Ncube.
“We should bury the bodies during the weekend as some families have already dug graves for their deceased relatives.”
Of the 22 Zimbabweans, 13 are from Nkayi, five from Gokwe South, two from Tsholotsho, one from Kwekwe and one woman from Kezi.
Senior Minister of State in the President’s Office, Cde Simon Khaya Moyo pledged financial assistance to assist the families of the bereaved during his visit to Nkayi North yesterday.
Nkayi North MP Cde Sithembiso Nyoni on Wednesday visited some of the bereaved families and consoled them. She told Chronicle yesterday it was saddening to note that most victims were youths in their early 20s.
“Some families even lost up to six children and we can imagine the pain they are going through. South Africa has become a death trap for our children,” she said.
Cde Nyoni said youths from the region should utilise the opportunities the country is presenting to them and stop rushing to the diaspora.
She said she was assisting youths in her constituency to start self-sustaining projects like flea markets, honey production and mining. She also challenged teachers to play a role in assisting youths even after they leave school.
“Teachers should offer guidance to the youths so that they can identify professional courses to assist them. Our school leavers have lacked assistance on how to live their lives and they end up going to South Africa,” said Cde Nyoni.
Zanu-PF Matabeleland North chairman Richard Moyo said the implementation of the ZimAsset was going to stop youths from seeking employment in South Africa as there would be jobs in the country.
Online Reporter