Online Reporter
Mthokozisi Ncube
THE family of Matopo High School pupil Ryan Tivafukidze, who died earlier this month, has raised questions over the circumstances surrounding his death, saying they are still waiting for answers from the school.
Ryan, a Form Three pupil died on 3 July 2026 after reportedly falling ill at the school hostel.
The family alleges they were only informed of Ryan’s death on 4 July at around 1PM, despite the pupil having died the previous day.
According to family spokesperson Tumai Tivafukidze, a post-mortem report revealed that Ryan died from bleeding in the brain.
Tumai said the report also showed that there was bleeding around the heart, although it was minor.
“The post-mortem report showed that he died from internal bleeding in the brain. There was also bleeding around the heart, but it was minor,” said Tumai.
“The family was not told that Ryan had been sick. We believe he may have been unwell for some time, but this was not communicated to us,” he said.
According to the family, Ryan collapsed on 3 July and was carried back to his hostel. It remains unclear whether he died in his dormitory room or after being taken to the clinic.
Tumai said the family was told by the school headmaster Gardson Sibanda that Ryan had been given ibuprofen after complaining of being unwell.
However, he said the family found a notice at the school indicating that there was no medication available.
“The head told the father that Ryan had been given ibuprofen, but when the parents arrived at the school there was a notice saying the school had run out of medication,” he said.
The family also raised concerns over the post-mortem findings, saying Ryan’s stomach was empty except for water.
“The headmaster told the guardians that Ryan had not skipped any meals, but the post-mortem findings showed that his stomach was empty,” said Tumai.
Ryan’s father, Alexious Tivafukidze, was reportedly left devastated by the death of his son.
When contacted by B-Metro, Alexious struggled to speak as he was still coming to terms with the loss.
Ryan was buried on 7 July 2026.
B-Metro contacted Matopo High School headmaster Gardson Sibanda last weekend seeking comment on the allegations.
However, Sibanda said he was in a meeting and was unable to respond.
Further attempts to reach him through WhatsApp messages and phone calls were unsuccessful, with the headmaster remaining unreachable at the time of publishing.
The school had earlier confirmed Ryan’s death in a communication sent to parents, stating that the Form Three pupil had fallen ill before being rushed to Matopo Clinic, where he was pronounced dead.
Initial reports indicated that Ryan had complained of a headache before his condition deteriorated.
A post-mortem was later conducted to establish the cause of death.
Mathew Masinge