Actor-cum-sangoma buried with ‘tools’ of trade

By The NewsDay | Oct. 5, 2016 | 2 Min read

THERE was drama during the funeral procession of veteran actor and traditional healer Sydney Shumba in Marondera after some members of his family suggested that he be buried with the paraphernalia he used during his healing sessions.

BY JAIROS SAUNYAMA

Tiriparwendo actors carry Sydney Shumba’s coffin at the funeral in Marondera

The family feared that since no one was interested in taking over the practice, there was no reason to keep Shumba’s tools of the trade. There was fear they would cause problems for the family.

The 54-year-old actor, popularly known as Manhenga in the ZBC drama Tiriparwendo, died in his sleep on Friday night last week at his plot in Marondera.

Family spokesperson Kenneth Shumba said the deceased did not complain of any illness prior to his death.

Although some family members had wanted the funeral to be done along traditional customs, the Anglican Church presided over the funeral. The hearse that carried the late actor’s coffin to the grave was also loaded with heaps of sacks that contained his tools of the trade such as mbira, herbs, garbs and clay pots.

“He had his things, let him go with them. There is no one from the family who is going to take over his apparatus, let alone look after them since he is gone. Let there be no one among you who claims that the late Shumba had borrowed his or her charms because we are burying with him everything that we found here,” said a family member.

Fellow actors who attended the burial included Silingwani Musarira, Tinashe Muchuri and Tendai Mukariri.