Zimpapers Logo

Leonard Ncube, Victoria Falls Reporter

BUSINESS came to a halt at the Victoria Falls International Airport yesterday morning as National Handling Services (NHS) workers paraded the body of a deceased long serving workmate.

The airport was temporarily closed between 7AM and 8AM as NHS workers carried Melusi Sithole’s coffin and put it on a tow tug and conveyer loader the same way baggage is ferried from trolleys into the aircraft.

The drills, which lasted for more than 30 minutes, took place at the airport’s car park near the police base, with almost all airport staff from the Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe Revenue Authority, Victoria Falls Airport Taxis Association, airport handling shops and restaurants operators in attendance.

Sithole was a long serving ground support equipment operator and died on Saturday at the age of 57.

His workmates prepared a drill send-off before a funeral service at the Seventh Day Adventist Church in Chinotimba.

NHS Victoria Falls Station manager Mr Donemore Karugwambe said the drill was organised to give the deceased a befitting send off as well as give the community an appreciation of the type of work done by ground support equipment operators.

“We couldn’t mobilise all the equipment but we managed to use a tow tug that is used to carry baggage and a conveyer loader which is used to transfer luggage from the trolley to the aircraft. We used these to carry the coffin as we put it into the trolley, towed it away from the compound to the airport where we transferred it to the conveyor loader before loading it into the hearse,” said Mr Karugwande.

He said the airport handling company lost a trainer of trainers. “This is a huge loss to us as a company because of the qualities that the deceased exhibited. We all learnt from him. He had respect, commitment and resilience as he also helped many to learn the ropes at work,” added Mr Karugwande.

Speaking on behalf of NHS workers, Mr Joseph Ncube, who joined the company in 1972, urged his colleagues to be diligent.

“He was a disciplined employee who helped train his subordinates. My advice to all youthful staff is that keep the company in the way we did since the Rhodesian time through independence to date,” he said.

Reverend Africa Jubane who is Sithole’s father in-law said people should strive to remain healthy for them to be productive and contribute to the development of their organisations and society.

Sithole was born in Gwatemba in Filabusi, Matabeleland South and is survived by a wife and four children. – @ncubeleon