Diaspora community form Funeral and repatriation service fund

Gwanda North community members based in South Africa have formed a funeral and bodies repatriation services group fund due to desperation of some colleagues whenever death strikes across the Limpopo.

Amatshetshe Bereavement Fund and Amatshetshe Funerals and Repatriation Services (AFR) chairperson, Vusumuzi Dube said the group drew members from Gwanda North villages such as Shake, Mkwidzi, Dambashoko and Magedleni formed an organization which they termed ‘Matshetshe Bereavement Fund’ (MBF) in 2019.

He said the organization was formed by a group of about 40 members.

"The purpose of the organization was initially to help Matshetshe community members in SA during bereavement by issuing condolences contributions of R8000 towards the bereaved family after noting the challenges Zimbabweans face in difficult times of bereavement in South Africa," Dube said.

"The organization was not intended to be a funeral home but 'umakhalisana'. There is no joining fee, but members contribute only R100 per month. Each principal member presents six beneficiaries under his/her name."

Dube said a committee was established and is composed of him as Chairperson, Ngqabutho Sibanda Vice chairperson), Sitholile Ndlovu Secretary, Busi Masuku core secretary, Sizakele Ngwenya,  Bulisani Hanje Ndlovu and Mthandazo Ncube account signatories, Nkosinathi Nkomo, Thembelani Nkomo, Moset Nkomo and Siphathisiwe Nkomo, Foster Nduna are committee members.

"The organization has benefited 13 different families across Matshetshe communal lands since its inception in 2019," he said.

"Now, MBF has a total of 62 members from the wards and villages under chief Mbiko Masuku."

Dube said it has a business bank account at First National Bank (FNB) and it is currently concentrated in Gauteng Province of South Africa.

"However, the intention is to spread to all parts of South Africa and to expand the scope from Matshetsheni communal area to all parts of Gwanda, Matabeleland Provinces, Zimbabwe as a whole and to SADC countries," he said.

"Motivation behind this MBF and the following AFR has been noted with pain the escalating number of Zimbabweans dying in poverty in South Africa,having no policies at all and families struggling to repatriate bodies."

"Secondly, other foreign nationals in South Africa have no documents and stable jobs that enable them to join funeral policies,  hence we decided to come to their rescue by accepting every African regardless of his/her ethnic origin starting from micro level to macro perspective."

He  appealed to well wishers/NGOS/governments and individuals to support their cause materially and in kind.

"We also urge our people to join in big numbers. Our new dimension is to pave a way to the formation of our own funeral home by the name of Amatshetshe Funeral and Repatriation Services (AFR)," Dube said.

He said as the Director being MBF chair, the sister organization offers among other things; funeral services, repatriation services across South African provinces, SADC countries mostly Botswana, Lesotho, Zimbabwe Swaziland, and Mozambique.

"The newly formed parlour intends to assist even undocumented foreigners in South Africa who can not join insurance companies because they neither have permits nor asylum papers and identity cards," he said.

"Every SADC citizen is accepted with his or her home country identification book/card. There are currently plans or options/ policies for joining and there is no joining fee. Monthly subscriptions starting from as little as R70 can cover a minimum of 10 members."

Dube said there are policy 2 for R105, policy 3 for R120, policy 4 for R160, policy 5 for R220 and policy 6 for R240.