Window Chitatu, popularly known as Uncle Tato in Canaan,
was pronounced dead upon arriving at Sally Mugabe Central Hospital. The
incident occurred near Granville Cemetery on Sunday.
Uncle Tato was reported to have been among the people who
watered and put final touches to the grave of their female neighbour laid to
rest at the cemetery.
One of his friends Tanatswa Maringazuva told H-Metro that
Uncle Tato was run over by the truck when he fell, a version vehemently denied
by the truck driver Owen Chiteru.
“Uncle Tato was seated on the truck board edge when he fell
and we shouted to the driver to stop but he did not take heed,” said
Maringazuva. “We continued shouting and he later stopped and we jumped off the
truck and picked him.
“He was drunk but we were not happy with the driver for
refusing to stop after informing him about the tragedy.
“Uncle Tato vaizivakanwa nekucherera vanhu mvura pa
borehole, kutsemura huni nekubatsira zvakawanda pandufu saka zvakatirwadza kuti
vaende nenzira yekutsikwa nemotokari.
“The driver went on to dump Uncle Tato at a house opposite
the place where mourners were gathered.
“We forced him to lodge a police road traffic accident
report and we ferried Uncle Tato to hospital where he was pronounced dead upon
arriving,” said Maringazuva.
Chiteru denied hitting the deceased saying the case is now
under investigation. “Uncle Tato fell down before I moved the truck and he was
visibly drunk together with the other guys,” said Chiteru.
“He was lifted back into the truck and I drove them back to
the house where mourners were gathered only to be called later that the guy had
passed on. The case is now under police investigation and we are waiting for
post-mortem results,” he said.
Uncle Tato’s family spokesperson Eurita Benhura told
H-Metro that the deceased was a diabetic and epilepsy patient.
“As a family we were shocked by the sudden passing on of a
loving and caring man at a time when he was helping one of our neighbours,”
said Benhura.
“We are not sure of what actually happened at the cemetery
where he was reported to have fallen off a moving truck. We are waiting for
post mortem results and we will be in a position to comment further concerning
the tragedy,” she said.
Provincial police spokesperson Inspector Simon Chazovachii
confirmed the tragedy saying the driver faces capable homicide charges and
warned people over clinging to moving vehicles and merry making at funerals.
“Police report and investigations with a view to find the
causes of death are in progress,” said Insp Chazovachii.
“It is sad to lose life while burying another person and we
are strongly warning people who cling to moving vehicle that they face arrest. “Drivers
should not over load passengers or allow people to cling to moving vehicles. In
this incident circumstances at hand shows that the now deceased fell off a
moving Toyota Diana truck driven by a man aged 38.
“The now deceased complained of stomach pains and succumbed
to injuries and was taken home and later to Sally Mugabe Central Hospital where
he was pronounced dead upon arriving,” said Insp Chazovachii. H Metro
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