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Blessing Karubwa, [email protected]

GODLWAYO Family United (GFU)  forked out R20 000 towards the burial of the late Restoration Ministries Church’s bishop Mkhululi Msindo Ncube who was shot dead in South Africa, last month.

Fondly known as Bishop Msindo, Ncube was shot dead at his Orange Farm home in South Africa. He was shot in the stomach by robbers who escaped with his double-cabbed Toyota Hilux D4D. Ncube was laid to rest last Saturday at his homestead in Avoca, Godlwayo.

Godlwayo Family United, a burial society of 200 local villagers, was represented at the funeral. The society seeks to financially assist members’ families across Godlwayo by providing R20 000 within three days of learning about the death of one of their member’s immediate relatives.

Each member pays R100 for every funeral; after that, the policy committee should submit R20 000 to the deceased’s family. The burial society that has financially helped in more than 20 funerals across Godlwayo, was started by villagers in May 2021.

Addressing mourners during the funeral service, GFU Chairperson Mr Nation Mhlophe said the burial society is an indication that Godlwayo is a united and intact community that works together to help each other.

“I have been sent by the Godlwayo Family United to hand over this R20 000 to the Msindo family to show love and support in these trying times. Let us all join this initiative because it is helping us as the entire community. As uGodlwayo we realised that we do not have a funeral policy and some of our colleagues have been struggling to repatriate their family members who might have died abroad.

“Besides that, some might not be able to join other funeral policy organisations and usually struggle to have all the necessary resources when faced with death in their families.

“We are a group of 200 members. We decided that it should not be more than 200, but at the moment we have more than 100 people on the waiting list and as the committee, we are still ruminating on what to do. This one only covers the member’s biological parents, specifically spouse’s biological parents and one’s biological children,” he said

In a side interview, vice spokesperson Mr Zibusiso Majankwe Ncube said the policy has also expanded its hand to help pay for the underprivileged who might be incapacitated and hence unable to uniformly pay in all the funerals

“We confined this, he continued, to uGodlwayo because we know each other at the family level and we believe we are one intact community.

“We also realised people might have joined other societies but those burial societies usually dump them if they fall sick, or skip membership payment once or twice. Sometimes when they lose their jobs, other funeral policies usually dump them as well, leaving them with no option but to be society’s burdens.

“However, this one is not the same as those, we are one family and as I speak, we have members that we currently pay for because they are not going to work, are old, or are facing other problems. We do not dump people. We identify old and less privileged people and pay for them. We raise ZAR20 000 within three days of hearing of death in one of our member’s families, “he said

Mr Ncube lamented that although the policy has not yet faced many challenges, it is part of the policy’s constitution to scrap the names of those who are financially stable but failing to pay their memberships.

“Some members have left their burial societies because of different reasons; some being told they failed to sign this and that, things which might not be feasible with everyone else. However, with this one, the situation is different because we are a family and we are friendly working together. That is why we named it Godlwayo Family United,” he added

A participant whose membership is paid by other GFU members, Ms Asalina Bhebhe (88), hailed the GFU burial society for helping pay for her policy membership.

“I was born in 1936 and I do not have a child. Ngingumuntu-nje ngihlezi/I am just an illiterate granny, waiting for the proverbial call from heaven. I am privileged to be part of the Godlwayo Family United burial policy and I am also grateful that members of that policy are helping me pay for my membership so I am also contributing something which means even in times of death, I will also be catered to for. They are helping me, the likes of Mthetho Mhlophe and others, Indeed, I see some people still care for me,” she said.

Contacted for a comment, another member, Ms Mthetho Mhlophe hailed the initiative saying it has gone a long way in helping the entire Godlwayo community.

“As the team we realised we have those old and underprivileged people that we should not exclude when taking such initiatives. With Ms Bhebhe we realised she does not have even a child, she does not have anyone to help her so we said no it’s better to put her in our burial policy and pay for her membership by ensuring we pay on her behalf at every funeral.

“This group is helping many, especially those of us who are living abroad because we do not want to be laid to rest in foreign lands,” she added

-@TeamKarubwa