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Mkhululi Ncube, Chronicle Reporter
“I WOKE up on Thursday morning and I asked the boys to check if the donated cattle were still in the kraal. Despite their assurance, I went on to check for myself so that what has happened could sink in”.

Those are the words of 99-year-old Gogo Janet Mpofu, a member of the Nkayi family whose 21 cattle died following a poisoning incident recently.

 

The Biblical story of Jesus changing water into wine at a wedding at Cana after it had run out, the sadness that followed and the ultimate joy thereafter, perfectly sums up the Nkayi family experience of grief over its loss and the bailout of 16 cattle from well-wishers.

The heartbreaking incident was highlighted in this paper leading to massive support for the family, which is still continuing, as more people are still fundraising.

The donated cattle left Bulawayo last week on Wednesday and arrived to great joy as the family and neighbours gathered to see a story of pain and heartbreak being changed into an amazing joy.

On the following day Chronicle followed and found neighbours still in disbelief over the change of fortunes for the Mpofu family.

As our vehicle parked outside the Mpofu homestead the cattle had been penned in a new kraal built by the Mpofu family supported by their neighbours as a show of unity that prevailed in pain and in joy.

The kraal was built some few metres away from the old one, marking a new beginning for the family.

Having spoken to the other two owners of the cattle, Mr Orderly and Lindani Mpofu, my interest was to meet the near-centenarian Mrs Mpofu and talk to her more.

After exchanging greetings with a group of men who were drinking opaque beer near the homestead’s entrance and talking in loud voices, I asked to see Gogo MaMpofu whose voice has remained largely silent in the media but is one of the reasons why many people felt obliged to help.

Sitting on a mat in the kitchen with three other women, I deliberately ignored the offer to take a chair and comfortably sat myself next to her and before long we were on the subject.

So happy is Mrs Mpofu that she does not accept the condolences for the lost cattle but wanted to celebrate the new dawn, receipt of the donated cattle.

“Bengicimezile kodwa uNkulunkulu ungivule amehlo.

Ngabe umuntu uyaphapha ngabe ngiphaphile.

Ithe ifika imota ngatshaya umpululu besithi ngiyakhala bazama ukungithulisa kodwa bekuyinjabulo (I ululated when the truck carrying the cattle arrived.

They thought I was crying and tried to console me but no, I was overjoyed),” she said.

Mrs Mpofu said even if one cow had been donated she would have been happy but the fact that they got 16 with more donations coming, shows God has been too good to her at the twilight of her life.

“If God could be seen, I was surely going to kiss Him.

Unfortunately, I can’t physically see Him but I will offer my praises to Him and kiss Him in my heart,” she said.

“It’s just that ubuhlungu abupheli kanye mntanami but my stress levels are low and in no time I will be all fine. I’m so grateful to all the people who have donated to my family,” she said.

It is true indeed, that ‘‘what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger’’.

When the tragedy struck, Mrs Mpofu said she was in Bulawayo after being taken by one of her daughters for a visit.

The family was afraid to tell her the exact number of cattle that died and only mentioned three, which she says she greatly mourned for.

“We took the next bus to Nkayi the following day and when we dropped off, a scotch cart had been prepared to take us home,” said Gogo MaMpofu.

“I immediately asked one of my grandchildren to tell me the names of the three cattle, which were dead and he just mumbled.

When we were about to reach home a group of people came and stopped the scotch cart.

Looking at their faces I could tell things were bad.”

She said she was in a state of shock upon seeing a group of people gathered at the kraal and was shown the large trench dug to bury the dead animals.

“I could not stand it and wailed the loss of my cattle as they explained what happened and they took me home to comfort me.

It was heart- wrenching,” said Gogo MaMpofu.

Days later, she said she laughed off a veterinary officer who had come to inform them to prepare another kraal to receive new cattle, as she had lost all hope of ever owning cattle again.

“I was not talking before this development. I was just sad and on Wednesday when the cattle arrived, I ate for the first time.

I could tell there was a change in my heart,” she said.

After our talk in the kitchen, Gogo MaMpofu took us to the kraal, walking with the aid of a stick and holding my hand and the men were now busy spraying the cattle to control ticks.

She entered the kraal for some pictures and when asked if she had given any name to the donated cattle, she pointed to the only bull and said, “NguBhusumani” and everyone laughed.

Mr Lindani Mpofu who accompanied the cattle from Bulawayo said the arrival brought great joy to the village as a whole.

“You see those two scotch carts and these drums of water, they belong to our neighbours.

When we arrived, they had prepared the kraal and they continue helping us by bringing water for the cattle,” he said.

“We have penned them and are feeding them in the kraal so that they get used to each other before we let them go into the feeding areas.”

A neighbour, Mr Senzo Sibanda said burying the dead herd was a sad moment for the entire village as they had to dig a deep trench, which took them the whole day.

“I have never seen anything like it in my entire life, losing one’s cattle in a moment.

But we are glad that there are good people out there who heard what happened and have supported the family,” he said.

Dolahali Primary School teacher, Mr Jabulani Moyo, who had also come to congratulate the family said it was good to see people from various places responding positively to support one of their own.

Village head Mr Thome Ncube said the loss of the cattle was like the family had lost all their family members.

While the family continues receiving more donations including cattle, which could even surpass the number of animals they lost, a veterinary officer in the province who is not allowed to speak to the media said he is concerned with the lack of control measures on the sale of dangerous vaccines.

“My survey in local shops is that there appears to be no control on the sale of livestock drugs and pesticides.

I have seen shops in rural areas selling vaccines with a purple triangle, which in terms of danger ranking is the most dangerous,” said the official.

“Some of them with purple colour are even dangerous when inhaled.

So, if something is not done, we may have more loss of life, either for livestock or human beings.

Something definitely needs to be done to control who handles such vaccines.” — @themkhust