BY TAFADZWA KACHIKO
LOCAL funeral services group, Nyaradzo, has been roped in to facilitate the repatriation of slain actress Anne Nhira’s remains from South Africa, NewsDay Life & Style has learnt.
Popularly known as Vimbai Jari from yesteryear soap Studio 263, Nhira (38), succumbed to stab injuries after she was attacked by unknown assailants in Bedfordview, Johannesburg, on Monday last week.
She is alleged to have suffered injuries on her chest area, rib cage and back and died three days later.
Addressing government officials at the deceased artiste’s family home in Manyame Park, Chitungwiza, yesterday, family spokesperson Florence Ziyambi, who is also the legal adviser to the President and Cabinet, said South African police were seized with Nhira’s case although no suspects had been arrested yet.
“We engaged Nyaradzo Funeral Services on Friday and they took over. We are now waiting for the post-mortem results, but it was finished this morning (yesterday). Nyaradzo Funeral Services is now processing repatriation papers. We hope that later on today (yesterday), they will be done,” she said.
“This last weekend, they couldn’t do anything because they said the Home Affairs office was closed. The post-mortem was done and Nyaradzo will take the body to the parlour and we are hoping that they will be done by Friday.”
Ziyambi thanked government for granting them a State-assisted funeral.
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“We want to thank the government for bestowing honour to our sister. As a family, we also believe that she deserves this. We want to thank you because it may be deserving, but cannot be granted as you know that Anne was now staying in South Africa,” she said.
Nhira’s brother Patrick said: “I want to thank the government for the status accorded to Anne. It shows you are now recognising artistes. We are very thankful as a family.”
Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation deputy minister Tinomudaishe Machakaire, who was part of the delegation, said the Nhira family would get US$5 000 from the government as part of funeral support.
“I am sorry we are meeting here because of God’s plan. We have come here because of Anne’s good works. It is so unfortunate that her life was cut short by evil people, this is a great loss,” he said.
“We want to thank the national leader President Emmerson Mnangagwa for what he did. Feel free to approach us when you face difficulties. We have an open door police. Don’t be afraid to knock on our doors. As government we will be with you till burial.”
National Arts Council of Zimbabwe director Nicholas Moyo said: “What the government has done speaks, this was done for Anne, but as National Arts Council of Zimbabwe we say this was done for the arts industry at large,” he said.
“This is a testimony that the government is committed to take arts to the next level. For me, this is a challenge to the sector. We want to appreciate what the government has done.”
Mourners are gathered at number 3429 in Manyame Park, Chitungwiza.
