News / National
Family discovers woman's death after picture of corpse circulates on WhatsApp
02 Nov 2014 at 07:21hrs | Views
THE family and friends of a woman who was a student at the Catholic University in Zimbabwe, Harare, were shocked to discover her death after a picture of her corpse was circulated on WhatsApp.
Elizabeth Katsande, 22, allegedly died after slipping and falling off the side of Mutemwa mountain where she had gone to pray with other students.
Pictures of Elizabeth's corpse circulated widely last week on WhatsApp before her family and friends were notified of her death and when they got wind of it, at first they refused to believe it.
Elizabeth was on her second year studying Business and Communication Studies and she had gone to pray in preparation for coming examinations.
Her uncle and guardian, Munesu Katsande, 47, who lives in Glen View 1, Harare, said he is greatly pained by the death but has nothing against the university.
He said he had put his name and phone number when he signed a consent form for Elizabeth to go and pray at the mountain and he does not understand why as the next of kin, he was not notified according to the law.
Katsande said some of the students who had come to the funeral told him that Elizabeth had said she had received a phone call from a relative who lived locally who had suggested they meet up.
Others alleged that it was dark therefore she did not see where she was going and that was why she could have slipped.
Another relative who did not want to be named said she was bitter about how the issue was handled, especially how the family was informed.
She said it is frightening how they all thought she was alive yet news and pictures of her death had been widely circulating on WhatsApp and to make matter worse, they started receiving condolence messages on the social network.
Police spokesperson for Mashonaland East, Assistant Inspector Paul Mwanza, said he could not comment because he was unaware of the case.
Elizabeth Katsande, 22, allegedly died after slipping and falling off the side of Mutemwa mountain where she had gone to pray with other students.
Pictures of Elizabeth's corpse circulated widely last week on WhatsApp before her family and friends were notified of her death and when they got wind of it, at first they refused to believe it.
Elizabeth was on her second year studying Business and Communication Studies and she had gone to pray in preparation for coming examinations.
Her uncle and guardian, Munesu Katsande, 47, who lives in Glen View 1, Harare, said he is greatly pained by the death but has nothing against the university.
He said he had put his name and phone number when he signed a consent form for Elizabeth to go and pray at the mountain and he does not understand why as the next of kin, he was not notified according to the law.
Katsande said some of the students who had come to the funeral told him that Elizabeth had said she had received a phone call from a relative who lived locally who had suggested they meet up.
Others alleged that it was dark therefore she did not see where she was going and that was why she could have slipped.
Another relative who did not want to be named said she was bitter about how the issue was handled, especially how the family was informed.
She said it is frightening how they all thought she was alive yet news and pictures of her death had been widely circulating on WhatsApp and to make matter worse, they started receiving condolence messages on the social network.
Police spokesperson for Mashonaland East, Assistant Inspector Paul Mwanza, said he could not comment because he was unaware of the case.
Source - Kwayedza
