BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI

When an elephant trampled Mbusi Mabhena to death two weeks ago in Mthoniselwa village in Nkayi, his family’s grief was swiftly compounded by another ordeal.

By the following day, he had been buried.

In Ward 13 of Nkayi district, there was no time for a traditional week-long wake or a post-mortem examination. There is no mortuary.

Local leaders say immediate burials have become common in parts of Nkayi and neighbouring Lupane, where families cannot preserve bodies due to a lack of cold storage facilities.

Weston Msimango, the councillor for Ward 13, said Mr Mabhena’s body was covered with sand before burial in an attempt to slow decomposition.

“It has become normal for people to be buried within 24 hours,” he said. “We have no facilities to keep them.”

The problem centres on Mbuma Mission Hospital, the main referral hospital for Nkayi and Lupane districts. Despite serving thousands of people, it has never had a mortuary.

For many villagers, transporting a body to cities such as Bulawayo or Gweru is too expensive. As a result, families resort to improvised methods to manage the smell of decomposition while making urgent burial arrangements.

Thandiwe Moyo, from Mkalathi village, said families often use sand and bananas to try to reduce odours while waiting for a few relatives to gather.

“To bury someone you love within 24 hours, without a proper goodbye because there is no cold room, feels like we are disposing of trash rather than honouring a life,” she said.

Residents say the lack of basic infrastructure contrasts sharply with the political rallies occasionally held in the district.

Jabulani Hadebe, the Member of Parliament for Nkayi South, has criticised what he describes as a lack of political will to address the issue.

He pointed to a large 2023 election rally in the area, attended by senior political figures, as an example of misplaced priorities.

“Leaders had an opportunity to visit the hospital, see what was missing and help,” he said. “Instead, the focus was on displays of wealth.”

Hadebe also alleged that some people who attended the rally were given spoiled food and later fell ill, though this claim could not be independently verified.

Sibusiso Sibanda, from Gonye village, said residents struggle to reconcile the arrival of luxury vehicles at rallies with the absence of a basic mortuary facility.

“They can come with big cars and give out meat, but they cannot finish a small room at Mbuma to keep the dead,” he said.

He added that without funeral insurance or money for transport, families have little choice but to bury relatives quickly.

“In the morning you are alive. If you die and you do not have a funeral policy, by evening you are in the sand,” he said. “There is no dignity left.”

Villagers in Somakantane said the absence of a mortuary has also disrupted cultural practices that require the body to remain at home for several days before burial.

The situation is not unique to Nkayi. Lawmakers have raised similar concerns in Binga, where some hospitals also operate without mortuary facilities.

Despite the issue being raised in Parliament, there has been no formal response from the government indicating when mortuaries might be built or repaired in affected districts.

The Ministry of Health’s spokesperson, Donald Mujiri, could not be reached for comment.

SOURCE: CITE

BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI 

The Nkayi community is preparing to lay to rest the Grade 2 pupil and his neighbor who tragically died in a gas-filled well in Ward 19 last week.

According to Ward 19 Councillor Thubelihle Mabuza Ncube, the young Grade 2 boy is scheduled to be laid to rest today, while the other deceased individual will be buried tomorrow. The community is currently awaiting the arrival of the bodies from the Nkayi regional mortuary. The remains were recently delivered back to the regional mortuary following the completion of postmortem examinations in Bulawayo.

The double fatality occurred when the young student was reportedly lured into a neighbor’s well by an elder to retrieve a bucket in exchange for sweets. The child was quickly overcome by suspected carbon monoxide and a total lack of oxygen. A neighbor who entered the shaft in a desperate rescue attempt also perished after being overwhelmed by the toxic air.

Due to the hazardous conditions within the well, rescuers were unable to enter the shaft and had to use a makeshift wire tool to retrieve the bodies from the surface. Councillor Ncube previously expressed deep distress over the incident, noting that Nkayi is hurting deeply.

While the community mourns, legal proceedings are also in motion. The councillor has indicated that the accused in the matter has been charged by the police. This update follows a series of tragic events in the Nkayi district, including a recent fatal elephant attack in Ward 13.

BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI

For Obert Dube, a renowned African poet, the stage is no longer just a place for performance; it has become a platform for a massive humanitarian effort aimed at Zimbabwe’s most vulnerable children. Since November, Dube has traversed the rugged terrains of Matabeleland North and South, visiting over 100 schools to provide essential supplies to students who, much like his younger self, are struggling to stay in the classroom.

Obert Dube

Dube, who describes himself as an “African poet… born and bred in Zimbabwe,” has dedicated his career to what he calls a “mission of mercy.” His work focuses on children who are often forced to drop out due to a lack of school fees or basic stationery. “I’m an African poet… a philanthropist engaged in a special mission,” Dube said in a recent interview. “I help vulnerable children… who sometimes fail due to school fees. Some approach me for help with registering for examinations.”

The poet’s motivation is deeply rooted in his own childhood trauma. Raised by a widowed mother who passed away before his final exams, Dube became a “child parent” at a young age. He recalls the humiliation of attending school in borrowed uniforms and the struggle of trying to learn without the most basic tools. “I remember some raised by elderly grandparents… their parents are passed on,” Dube explained, noting that many guardians cannot afford books. “They will spend the rest of the time at school without writing, and that is what is contributing to low pass rates.”

To fund this initiative, Dube allocates 30 percent of his earnings from every performance to purchase stationery and pay school fees. His reach has expanded to districts including Nkayi, Binga, Lupane, and Hwange. While he started alone, his social media presence has attracted global support, including a Zimbabwean-born UK citizen who recently donated football kits for the schools. “This is a different thing collectively that builds helping our own communities,” Dube said.