Body of Air Zimbabwe boss murdered in Botswana arrives

By Freeman Razemba

The body of Air Zimbabwe public relations executive Mrs Shingai Dhliwayo, who was murdered in Botswana, arrived in Harare yesterday morning.

She will be buried in Norton tomorrow. The body, which arrived in Bulawayo on Wednesday, was flown to Harare where it was taken to Nyaradzo Funeral Parlour.

This followed a post-mortem whose results indicated she was strangled.

Mr Webster Taruvinga, the deceased’s brother, said the body would be collected from Nyaradzo today around 1pm. It will be taken to Salvation Army church in Norton for a service at 3pm.

“After the church service, the body will be taken to the family’s house in Norton where it will lie in state and burial has been slated for Saturday at 1pm at Norton Cemetery,” he said.

Relatives and Air Zimbabwe employees including its acting chief executive officer Mr Edmund Makona, accompanied the body from the Harare International Airport to Nyaradzo Funeral parlour in the city.

The deceased’s father, Mr Nathan Taruvinga, narrated how they found Mrs Dhilwayo’s body in Botswana.

“She left Zimbabwe for Botswana and when she crossed the border that is when we lost communication. We did not know where she was and that is when we decided to make a follow up,” he said.

He said they engaged the International Police in the neighbouring country.

“As we were travelling near the border between South Africa and Botswana we received a call that there had been a body of a woman that had been found on the Bostwana side. That is when we went back and identified her,” Mr Taruvinga said.

He thanked the Criminal Investigations Department and Botswana police for their assistance.

“I just want to say to you all that you have not come for a funeral, but to celebrate Shingai’s life. Let us sing and enjoy that she has gone to the Lord.

“And to whoever perpetrated this, the Lord is there and He is seeing you and He will treat you accordingly with what you have done,” he said.

According to chief police spokesperson Senior Assistant Commissioner Charity Charamba, post-mortem results were; “Homicide as a result of a combination of strangulation and gagging.”

Investigations are still underway to establish who killed Dhliwayo. The Herald