BODIES OF MURDERED MOTHER AND DAUGHTERS ARRIVE IN BULAWAYO FOR SIDE-BY-SIDE BURIAL
By Gabriel Manyati
The bodies of Zandile Nothabo Khumalo and her two daughters, Natalie and Nala, arrived in Bulawayo on Monday evening and are set for burial today, with the family appealing for privacy as they prepare to say a final farewell.
Family members and close relatives gathered to receive the remains before joining a convoy that escorted the hearses to Nyaradzo Funeral Parlour, where the bodies will lie in state. The bodies will today briefly pass through the family home in Gwabalanda ahead of a funeral service at the Brethren in Christ Church in Lobengula. They will then be laid to rest side-by-side at Old Luveve Cemetery.
Relatives said they hope the burial will offer a measure of healing after weeks of anguish. The family has asked the public and media to respect their privacy during this difficult time and not to share sensitive images without permission.
Nothabo, 42, and her daughters Natalie, 15, and Nala, 5, were found dead at their home in Great Denham, Bedfordshire, on 6 July. Post-mortem examinations confirmed that all three died from blunt force trauma.
Their husband and father, Ndodana Mkhanyisi Tshuma, a Zimbabwean-born British citizen, is the prime suspect. United Kingdom authorities have authorised three counts of murder against him. He fled the country shortly after the killings and was arrested in Johannesburg on 10 July. He remains in custody in South Africa facing a separate firearm charge while extradition proceedings continue.
A fundraising campaign organised by the family for repatriation and funeral costs (initially targeting £10 000) exceeded its goal, raising over £16 500. The Khumalo family has taken charge of the arrangements from their home in Gwabalanda, and declined involvement from the Tshuma side amid strained relations.
Investigations into the deaths are ongoing in the United Kingdom.