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Warrant Officer 2 Chaeruka Nathan Pedzisai

Defence and War Veterans Affairs Minister Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri, accompanied by the Commander Air Force of Zimbabwe Air Marshal Elson Moyo and senior officers from the ZDF, handed a new house to the Fenyere family.

The house was handed over to Mr Fenyere and his family in Goromonzi yesterday.

It was built by the Air Force of Zimbabwe (AFZ) after an air crash involving an AB 412 Helicopter claimed the lives of one of their twin children, aircrew and destroyed the house.

The other twin and the mother were hospitalised with life threatening burns.

It was indeed a black day for the nation and the AFZ as a whole, but it ignited the spirit of “ubuntu” which saw the Government availing funds to build a new house for the family.

“This tragedy happened when no one least expected. It left the Fenyere family almost stranded. We as the Ministry of Defence and War Veterans Affairs and the Zimbabwe Defence Forces were shocked by the tragedy to say the least.

“I vividly recall the sombre atmosphere when I came here, a day after the accident in order to pay our condolences and comfort the Fenyere family.”

“I spoke at length with the family and pledged on behalf of the ministry to support and stand with the family. Thereafter, the Air Force of Zimbabwe mobilised items that would cushion the family on their day to day living. But these items were never going to count for anything without the family having their damaged shelter restored.”

She added: “It was then that my ministry made a commitment to construct a house for the Fenyere family. Immediately after authority was granted, the Air Force of Zimbabwe dispatched a group of construction experts to ascertain the work that was to be done. Their feedback highlighted that the cost of repairing the house was comparable to constructing a new one.

On the other hand Mr Fenyere, had been constantly in touch with our Air Force chaplain who was handling the family’s post bereavement issues, requested for a new house to be built instead of having the damaged one repaired. His reasons were quite understandable especially considering the trauma the family had gone through.”

In the following months after the tragedy when the Minister Muchinguri-Kashiri engaged the Government, the ministry provided the financial resources for the purchase of required materials to construct the house.

The minister emphasized that, “worthy to note is that the design for the house was done by the Air Force drawing team and out of that plan came this new house we are celebrating today. The house has so many improvements on it when compared to the damaged one.

Of note are the tiled floors, ceiling, plastered walls, modern tubs and ceramic cisterns, some skating around the building, a solar geyser, new sceptic tank and soak away, security lights and a painted roof. The house still has its 10 rooms, of which one is self-contained, two linking and the rest separate.

The hand over coincided with the Zimbabwe Defence Forces (ZDF) community assistance week. During the week the AFZ and Zimbabwe National Army undertake a number of programmes and activities to uphold and improve the lives of  communities all over the country. Minister Muchinguri-Kashiri  said, “This experience that has been cultivated began with a very sad and painful encounter but today marks the new dawn and I am confident that the relationship between the Fenyere family and the ZDF will grow from strength to strength.”