Pumula family forced to hold funeral in the street

A family from Bulawayo's Pumula North suburb was forced to hold a funeral service on the streets after poll bearers failed to navigate their way into the house.

This was apparently due to piles of steel and other metal consignments that surrounded the deceased's house as shown in the picture.

Esther Phiri Ndlovu (54) died sometime last week and her funeral was conducted on the street after her family mounted two tents to accommodate mourners.

The road passing by the late Esther's house was closed to allow for smooth proceedings at the funeral.

A relative of the deceased who identified himself as Huru Thakathaka Ndlovu said they decided to hold the funeral outside the gate so as to cater for the multitudes of mourners who came to pay their last respect to the late Esther.

"As a family we decided to hold the funeral on the street so as to accommodate all the people who came here. Considering that we had more than five hundred people who came to the gathering we therefore saw it wise to conduct the funeral o the street.

"We told talked with the councilor and he blessed the move that's why we closed the street because there were people everywhere here. We alerted the neighbors before we closed the street and there is nothing wrong with that," Huru said.

A neighbour who spoke on condition of anonymity said hordes of scrap metal piled at house hindered the way through into the house.

Huru could not be drawn to reveal if there were traditional or religious underlying beliefs to the holding of the funeral outside home.

Traditionally when an elder person dies and before they are taken to their final resting place, it is a norm that the body lies in state at their house which is believed to be the way of making them pay the last visit in their house.

Only a person who died in a tragedy such as stabbing, car accident and lighting is denied entrance into the home.