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Prosper Ndlovu Senior Reporter
A sombre atmosphere engulfed Bulawayo’s West Park Cemetery yesterday when scores of mourners witnessed the burial of three family members from Emakhandeni suburb who died in a mysterious fire on Sunday night.
It was a moment of grief as the mourners among them politicians, businesspeople, Guta Ramwari Church members and community leaders, filled Exodus Funeral Services’ chapel in Kelvin North where an emotional funeral service for Chipo Mudinzwa (58), her son Cleopas (37) and daughter, Christine (29) was conducted at 10am.

Sorrow was written on the faces of the mourners who quietly gazed at the coffins of the three who were burnt to death in a suspected suicide case when fire gutted their house, Number 1852 in Emakhandeni.

Exodus Funeral Services provided the family with the three coffins, storage and dressing of the bodies, hearses and a bus for the mourners for free as part of its corporate social responsibility.

Speakers described the death of the three as a frightening experience.
Close relative Mr Luckson Mudinzwa said the family was devastated by the incident.

“Losing three people at one go is difficult to stomach.  We are struggling to come to terms with the deaths. We thank the media, Exodus Funeral Services and the residents. Without them we could not have managed to handle this big task,” said Mr Mudinzwa.

Cde Judith Ncube, a member of Zanu-PF’s Central Committee, expressed condolences to the Mudinzwa family saying Cleopas was a member of the party’s Youth League.

“This is not an easy task. When it happened we were affected as Zanu-PF. This young man was part of us not so long ago during the election campaign and he worked so hard. Silusizi ngokwenzakeleyo,” she said.

Newly elected councillor for Ward 11, Mr Pilate Moyo, said residents in Emakhandeni were still in shock following the fire incident.
He commended the community for working together to assist the family in footing funeral costs.

Speaking at the same occasion, the MP elect for Emakhandeni constituency Mr Dingilizwe Tshuma said the death of the three was a test of unity among the residents.

“Le yinsindabaphenduli but work was made easy because of the contribution of different stakeholders who have demonstrated unity in assisting this family. Our media houses, the business community, Exodus Funeral Services and residents did a splendid job,” said Mr Tshuma.

The senator-elect for the area Agnes Mloyi said death was inevitable and urged residents to remain united and assist each other in times of need.

Guta Ramwari secretary Mr M Manzini who said Mrs Mudinzwa and her daughter were members of his church, said the manner in which the three died was unusual.

“We were terrified when we learnt about the incident. This is very unusual and difficult to understand but we have to accept it. We believe God allowed it to happen,” said Mr Manzini.

Mourners were only allowed to view the body of Cleopas while that of his mother and his sister who were burnt beyond recognition could not be viewed.

The funeral service ended at about 11.30am after which the long funeral cortege proceeded to West Park Cemetery.
As the bodies were offloaded from the hearses and placed on the three graves, church members burst into song while scores of mourners who are also Dynamos supporters and were carrying the football club’s flag, whistled and ululated while shouting the name of Cleopas, whom they described as a hero.

It was a touching moment when the three bodies were simultaneously lowered to their final resting place with the mother’s grave at the centre.

Bags of rubble that was collected after the family’s property was burnt were also thrown into the graves.
Residents close to the family suspect that Mrs Mudinzwa and her children deliberately started the fire, judging by the events leading to the fateful day.

The residents said the family had been locking itself indoors for the past two weeks saying it was afraid of some unknown strange creatures, which made residents suspect that the trio had developed a mental problem.