Woman dies in city centre Bulawayo City Health Department officials disinfect the corpse and spot where a woman collapsed and died in Bulawayo on Monday

Mkhululi Ncube, Chronicle Reporter
A BULAWAYO woman who had been informed about the death of her uncle collapsed and died in the city centre just after doing her shopping.

According to witnesses the woman died outside the Legal Resources Centre Offices at Amalungelo House Building at corner Fort Street and 8th Avenue at about 2PM on Tuesday.

Police identified the deceased as Pamela Tshuma (56) of Njube suburb.

A neighbour, Miss Nokuthula Dube who was travelling with the late woman said the now deceased had in the morning received news of the death of her uncle in the rural areas and she suspected it might have affected her.

“She received the news about the death of her uncle in the morning while at the bank. We came to the supermarket for shopping and while in the queue she complained of shortness of breath. We requested that she be served ahead of others which was done before she left to wait for me outside, “she said.

A vendor who sells her wares outside the supermarket, Ms Beauty Dube, said when the deceased left the supermarket she joined her where she operates from.

“She came out of the supermarket and rested near where I was seated. We were talking and I did not sense anything.

When her neighbour came out of the supermarket, she stood up preparing to go. She then asked how much I was selling beetroot for but before she could take money from her purse, she fell down,” said Ms Dube.

She said they phoned an ambulance which responded late.

“We tried assisting by calling an ambulance but it took time to arrive and when it came they certified her dead and left the body. She collapsed around 2PM but our emergency services came very late as you can see the body has been here for hours now which is unfortunate,” she said.

Bulawayo City Council health department Covid-19 response team came to disinfect the body as per Covid-19 regulations which stipulates that all deaths must be treated as being linked to the virus.

By 4.15PM when this news team left the scene, the body was still to be removed with police officers recording statements while multitudes of people were milling around.

Acting Bulawayo Police spokesperson Assistant Inspector Nomalanga Msebele confirmed receiving the sudden death report.

“Police in Bulawayo are investigating a case of sudden death which occurred in the Central Business District. On 19 October the now deceased received a death message on her cellphone stating that her uncle had passed on,” she said.

Asst Insp Msebele said the body of the late Tshuma was taken to United Bulawayo Hospitals mortuary awaiting postmortem. — @themkhust

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