Prophet Ndlovu’s body stuck in Poland

Robin Muchetu, Senior Reporter
ONE of Bulawayo’s self-styled men of God, Prophet Sisonke Ndlovu has died.

Prophet Ndlovu (29) is said to have succumbed to pneumonia in Poland on 4 February where he was studying Civil and Building Engineering. His body is stuck in Poland as his family is failing to repatriate the body to Zimbabwe for burial as the insurance allegedly sold to him by a local agent who facilitated the scholarship, Mr Daniel Muzenda has been declined by authorities. The insurance was supposed to cover for his medical expenses and repatriation.

Mr Muzenda is based in Bulawayo and operates under the name Zimbabwe Scholarship Trust. Sunday News spoke to Prophet Sisonke’s distraught mother, Mrs Siphilisiwe Ndlovu, from her United Kingdom base where she was at pains to explain the trauma she has endured.

“Sisonke arrived in Poland on 24 September last year for his studies. The first challenge that they faced which was a red flag was that before they left they paid $100 to the agent which he said was for transport from the airport to the university. But they were stranded when they arrived and there was no one waiting for them and they had to find their own way,” she said.

When he applied for the scholarship, Mr Muzenda is alleged to have charged him $200 for travel insurance which was meant to cover him while in Poland. The certificate was issued by International Medical Group, INC and was valid from 13 September 2017 to 12 September 2018. However, when Prophet Ndlovu fell ill they discovered the document was “invalid”.

Mrs Ndlovu said her son started having breathing problems and his lungs were damaged and he had to be hospitalised.

“When he was hospitalised he did not respond well to medication and he was finally put in a medically induced coma but unfortunately he did not make it. His bills cost thousands of euros because he was not covered by insurance in Europe,” he added.

Mrs Ndlovu said when she contacted Mr Muzenda for an explanation about why her son was not insured, she was told the insurance was valid during the trip only. She alleged Mr Muzenda later changed goal posts and said he was not responsible for the documents as they were processed in South Africa. Furthermore, when he was contacted again he is alleged to have changed his statement saying Prophet Ndlovu paid for freight insurance not medical insurance.

“When I further probed Mr Muzenda he stopped answering my calls and he stopped responding to my messages. That is when I was convinced we had been conned on the insurance issue,” she said.

When Sunday News contacted Mr Muzenda he initially said this reporter should call in three minutes as he was at a noisy place. However, soon after that his mobile phone was not reachable.

Mrs Ndlovu said the family needed at least £8 000 to bring her son’s body home. She said undertakers charged £6 000 but said the cost was likely to go up hence the appeal for more money. She has also set up a GoFundMe account under her name where she has raised just under £700. GoFundMe is an online platform where one can fundraise for assistance. She however, warned parents and prospective students to be wary of middlemen who facilitate scholarships abroad.

Prophet Ndlovu left behind a wife and two sons who are in Zimbabwe.