THE Mangwe District elderly couple who were gruesomely
killed and burnt beyond recognition last week, were yesterday laid to rest in
one grave at Empandeni Mission Cemetery in a heart tugging ceremony.
Their white caskets were put in one big grave just
centimetres apart. Nicholas Nleya (83) and his wife Margaret (78) are survived
by ten children, 20 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
One could have mistaken the funeral for a burial of a
national hero as people came from all corners of the country to pay their
respect.
As testimony to the couple’s popularity and the extent to
which their horrific death devastated the community, hundreds of mourners in
more than 100 vehicles and four buses accompanied the remains to their final
resting place.
Four big tents and five small ones were erected at the
homestead to accommodate the mourners.
The decor, public address system and the catering could
have fooled one into believing that the event was a celebrity wedding yet it
was a funeral.
Mourners wept openly when the charred bodies that lay in
state in sealed coffins overnight were taken outside the house in identical
white caskets by Roman Catholic Church members.
The Archbishop of Bulawayo Diocese, Father Alex Thomas led
a team of about a dozen priests in the last mass for the couple.
Most of the mourners were in tears when the couple’s
children requested a song by Vusi Nova “Yibanathi.”
“Father be with us at a time like this and forgive our sins
. . . ,” goes part of the chorus, which appeared to have touched the
grief-stricken community.
Perhaps the most touching moment of the emotionally charged
funeral was when the couple’s last child, Ms Thabisile Nleya, took to the
podium.
She took the mic and slowly moved towards where her
parents’ remains lay and then poured her heart out in a heart-rending eulogy as
she addressed her parents as if they were still alive and could hear her.
“Sengizaba yini without you baba, without your guidance,
without your teaching, all throughout my life you have supported my dreams. You
taught me to be fearless in chasing them. I’m the woman I am today because of
you baba,” she said.
“You were proud of your wife, you loved her all through her
life and even death could not separate you. We have been left alone in the
open,” she said.
Thabisile would break down, gather her strength and
continue in a quavering voice that depicted deep anguish. She turned to her mother.
“Ngizobayini ngaphandle kwakho? Kubuhlungu kakhulu,
kubuhlungu ukuzwa ukuthi (What will I be without you? It is very painful,
painful to hear) you were begging for your life from the killers. Ngidabukile
mama wami. My heart is shattered into a million pieces which will never come
back together again. You were our shelter, mama sengizakhalela bani mina?
Ubuhlungu obungaka ngizabutshela ubani? (Who will comfort me? Who will I tell
about this unbearable pain?) There is nothing left for me in this cruel world,”
she mourned.
Almost every person in the crowd was moved by her speech.
Some people choked back sobs while other cried out loud.
Some had one hand on their chins, for some it was folded
arms, others just opened their mouths but no sound came out. Still others were
constantly shaking heads while others drew meaningless patterns in the sand.
MDC-T leader, Thokozani Khuphe who was part of the
proceedings opened her purse, took tissue papers, blew her nose and wiped tears
from her eyes.
One of the children Mr Edmond Nleya said their parents
prepared them for all the situations in life.
“They taught us all to be jacks of all trades. We can
survive anywhere. If you put any of us in an office or you bring us to the
farms we can adjust and do well. My father valued women and never raised a hand
against my mother and I have taken that with me,” said Mr Nleya as he struggled
for words.
Miss Nleya said knowing her mummy as she did, she forgave
her killers before her death even though she pleaded in vain to be spared. She
concluded by thanking her parents for their role in her life and promised to
always love them.
Local priest, Father Victor Dube said it is only by looking
at what Jesus went through on the cross that friends and relatives could
understand what happened.
“We have two questions, the first one is why this happened
and the second, is who did this? As Christians we can find answers to these
question on the Cross where Christ was killed without having committed an
offence,” said Father Dube.
Representing the Nleya family, Mr Patrick Nyathi said the
late Nicholas Nleya held strong values which touched all who interacted with
him.
“He was always the first to arrive at church and last to
depart. We must all practice love, peace and forgiveness. Those are the strong
values he held,” he said.
Representing the family of Margaret Nleya nee Dube, Mr Amon
Dube said his sister was a great educator who produced many great people.
“It is sad that she buried her last sibling, her sister
only last month. Margaret was the last born at birth and she has become the
last at death as well as all her siblings are dead. Sifaka ihlahla emulini
yakoDube. Kubi okwenzakeleyo njalo siyakuqala in our family for one of us to
depart like this,” he said.
Mr Njabulo Ndebele who was the master of ceremony explained
to mourners why they could not view the bodies.
“Those who came wishing to see what happened, I am very
sorry. Emabhokisini lapha kulamalahle amabili, akuphumanga lutho, batsha
baphela “There are only two burnt remains in the boxes. There is nothing. They
were burnt to ashes). Let us accept that,” said Mr Ndebele.
Headman Zibuyeni, for the area, asked police to get to the
bottom of the matter as villagers are living in fear.
After the service the long funeral cortège snaked to the
community cemetery where the two were laid to rest side by side in one grave.
Even though the couple were killed in a senseless murder,
the funeral was a celebration of their lives. The murders wrote the last
chapter of the couple’s lives but the family made sure that they wrote the very
last paragraph as the couple was buried with honour and dignity. Chronicle
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