Dad hugs kombi driver who killed his daughter

 In a moment that left an entire cemetery hushed in disbelief, a grieving father embraced the man responsible for his daughter's death - offering not vengeance, but forgiveness.

Fifteen-year-old Zinhle Mnkandla, a promising Form Three student and cherished choir member, was laid to rest on Monday at Luveve Cemetery following a moving service at Pelandaba Seventh-Day Adventist Church. Zinhle tragically lost her life on Friday after being struck by a speeding commuter omnibus (kombi), driven by Tatenda Pondo.

What transpired at her funeral stunned mourners and silenced even the most hardened hearts.

"I am setting him free," said Zibusiso Saunyama, Zinhle's father, addressing the hundreds gathered. "It was not his intention. No one is going to be charged for Zinhle's death."

As the funeral procession made its way to the cemetery, a solemn calm hung in the air. Then, in a gesture that will be remembered for years, Saunyama called out, "Where is the driver's family?"

Tatenda Pondo, visibly distraught and overwhelmed with guilt, stepped forward. His face streaked with tears, he looked like a man ready to be condemned. But what followed defied expectations.

Instead of anger, Saunyama opened his arms.

Gasps echoed through the crowd as father and driver embraced — one consumed by the agony of loss, the other crushed by remorse.

In a deeply symbolic act, Saunyama removed a flower from his daughter's coffin and handed it to Pondo. "Come," he said. Together, they laid it gently atop the casket.

"This is our peace offering," Saunyama declared. "Let us heal."

Zinhle, born August 26, 2009, was remembered as a joyful and devoted young girl whose voice lit up her church choir.

"She came to choir practice just the day before she died," recalled her tearful teacher. "She loved music with her whole heart. I've lost a daughter."

Her friend Nyasha spoke through sobs. "She was my sister in everything but blood. Her smile could light up a room. I'll carry her memory forever."

Zinhle's mother, Erica Nhliziyo, was inconsolable throughout the proceedings. Clutching her chest, she had to be held by relatives as she mourned her first-born child.

Among the mourners was Bulawayo Deputy Mayor Edwin Ndlovu, who used the tragic occasion to call for urgent transport reforms.

"All kombis must be registered under proper associations," he said. "We cannot keep burying our children due to reckless driving."

While the day was one of unbearable sorrow, it was also a rare display of profound forgiveness — a reminder of humanity's capacity for grace even in the darkest of hours.

Zinhle's voice may be silenced, but her memory — and the powerful message of love and forgiveness her funeral brought — will echo far beyond the grave.

Rest in peace, Zinhle. Your song lives on.