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Tafadzwa Zimoyo Senior Arts Reporter
Veteran actor and radio drama presenter Emmanuel Mbirimi, who died on Monday, will be buried on Thursday at Zororo Memorial Park.
He was 65.
Mbirimi is survived by three children Tongayi, Tinashe and Chenai.
Mbirimi died in the late hours of Monday at Parkview Renal Facility, in Harare after battling kidney disease for years.
His first son, Tongayi, said the family was devastated.
“I am so devastated,” he said. “I came to see him from South Africa on Sunday. Baba died around 11pm on Monday. He was on dialysis machine and had a cardiac arrest as the kidney was affecting the heart. We have lost a father, an actor and advisor.”
Tongayi said the funeral wake was in Cranborne for a limited number of people.
“We were instructed to have 40 people at the funeral, including at the burial because of Covid-19,” he said.
“My brother and sister are not coming, they are based in the United Kingdom. We are managing the number sand we have sanitisers at the entrance. It is a very difficult time for us.”
Mbirimi featured in local films such as “Neria”, “Tanyaradzwa”, “The Poacher”, “Zvinhu Zvacho” and “The Letter”.
A former teacher who spent the better part of his life teaching English Literature at Heritage and Cranborne Boys High, Mbirimi was also a ZBC radio drama presenter back in the late 90s.
Film producer Joe Njagu who worked with Mbirimi on his last project, “The Letter”, said it was a great privilege working with the veteran actor who taught him a lot on acting.
“He was one of the most professional actors I have worked with in my career,” he said. “He was very humble. May his soul rest in peace. We have been robbed.”
Online Reporter