Families clash over burial of murdered girl
however, are fully-kitted and services than before.
Mr Mujiri also highlighted that the construction of the Lupane Provincial Hospital was progressing well with central stores, pharmacy, casualty, outpatient department, administration block, junior staff housing, maternity, surgical ward, paediatric ward, dental clinic, eye clinic, kitchen, antenatal and post-natal section being at an advanced stage.
The construction of the hospital has seen the government investing about US$210 million in order to ensure provision of health services for all people in Matabeleland North province. — @NyembeziMu.
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THE family of the late Miss Sanele Ndlovu who was allegedly killed by her boyfriend Tendai Gondo in a domestic dispute have reportedly summoned the Gondo family to their rural home in Plumtree, as the two families continue to be involved in a tug of war over the burial of the deceased three weeks after her death.
Miss Ndlovu passed away last month, with Gondo initially saying it was due to a hit and run accident but police investigations later revealed that her boyfriend allegedly ran her over with a Hino truck during a domestic dispute. Gondo is out on bail for the alleged murder of his girlfriend.
Miss Ndlovu’s family is, however, still struggling to retrieve her body from the United Bulawayo Hospitals mortuary after Gondo had initially signed for the burial order and is now refusing the Ndlovu family access to the body.
A couple of weeks ago the Ndlovu family travelled from Plumtree to the Gondo family house along Chaplin Road in Kumalo suburb where they attempted to engage the family to help facilitate Miss Ndlovu’s burial, with no joy. They eventually held a memorial service at the Gondo family house.
In an interview with Sunday News, Miss Ndlovu’s father, Mr Bernard Ndlovu said they were at a point where they just wanted closure and have their daughter given a decent burial.
“We are now at a point where we don’t know what to do, our daughter died a brutal death, the person who allegedly murdered her is walking scot-free after being granted bail, our daughter is still stuck at the UBH mortuary as if she has been abandoned.
“What we are begging the Gondo family is that if they do not want our daughter to be buried at least can they allow us to move her body to a private mortuary. She is my daughter, the least I can be allowed to do right now is to honour and respect her even in death. We are expecting them (Gondo family) at our homestead on Sunday (today) where we hope this impasse will be solved once and for all, that is if they manage to come,” said Mr Ndlovu.
He said what pained him the most was that the Gondo family had no relation to Miss Ndlovu as they had not paid anything as dowry and the two (Miss Ndlovu and Gondo) did not have any children.
“I am the father, I am the next of kin, it therefore pains me that I cannot access the body of my daughter. We are pained by the manner she died, now this has been worsened by all this drama for her to be accorded a decent burial, where and when will we get the necessary closure,” said Mr Ndlovu.
Ms Bekezela Maplanka, an aunt to the late Miss Ndlovu bemoaned the increase of Gender Based Violence (GBV), saying there was a need for Zimbabweans to come together and proffer a solution.
“We are pained so much as our children get killed like animals and as women, we need to stand up together and protect the girlchild as it is so painful as a parent who raised a child to get her killed and for the family of the perpetrator to treat you as if you are on the wrong.
“As Zimbabwe let us stand together and fight against men killing our children over petty issues, no issue is worth killing someone over. The worst part is that the family is so disrespectful as we know that when something like this happens families should come together and discuss the way forward,” she said.
The Gondo family could not be reached for a comment.