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THE 10-year-old Grade Six pupil at Dzivaresekwa Barracks 2 Presidential Guard Primary School, Ashley Mhanji, who died of cancer on Tuesday, will be buried today in Mutoko.Ashley, who was battling cancer and receiving help from Musha Mukadzi Zimbabwe Armed Forces Foundation, will be buried at her family’s rural home in Kamusori Village under Chief Nyamukoho.
Ashley was one of the beneficiaries of the charity organisation whose national chairperson is Mrs Mary Chiwenga, wife to Zimbabwe Defence Forces Commander General Constantine Chiwenga.
A funeral service for Ashley was yesterday held at Nyaradzo Funeral parlour in the city before the body was taken to Mutoko last night.
The procession was attended by Gen Chiwenga, Mrs Chiwenga, senior army and Government officials and relatives.
Gen Chiwenga, who addressed the mourners, said he was saddened and shocked by the death of Ashley.
“We have to accept what has happened although we are in pain,” he said.
Mrs Chiwenga said Ashley would be buried around 10:30am and that they were going to attend the burial.
“We are here (at Nyaradzo Funeral parlour) to pay our last respects to Ashley and we will be following to Mutoko tomorrow (today) morning for burial,” she said.
Mrs Chiwenga narrated how they started assisting Ashley who had been in and out of hospital. She also spoke of the visits they had made to Ashley’s home with Gen Chiwenga.
She, however, said she was disappointed after Ashley failed to access chemotherapy treatment since it is only limited to three hospitals countrywide.
Mrs Chiwenga said they approached some senior Government officials for them to clarify why the treatment was only limited to the three hospitals.
“If we had been allowed to purchase chemotherapy drugs, we could have been talking of a different story on Ashley,” she said. The charity organisation has set up a cancer facility at Trauma Centre.
The charity organisation donated various groceries and goods, which would be used during Ashley’s funeral.
Online Reporter