Thupeyo Muleya Beitbridge Bureau
DOVES Holdings has constructed a $2 million state-of-the-art-funeral parlour in Beitbridge that is set to improve the repatriation of Zimbabweans who die in South Africa. An average of 300 bodies are repatriated from south of the Limpopo River monthly. The new parlour houses a mortuary with a carrying capacity of 40 bodies, a chapel to accommodate 200 people, offices and a showroom and is expected to ease pressure on the district hospital morgue.

The company’s group chief executive officer, Dr Talent Maziwisa, said they were looking at creating a major depot for Sadc at Beitbridge through their sister company in the neighbouring country.

“We are looking at simplifying some of the challenges many people face in repatriating remains of Zimbabweans or other nationalities who die in South Africa,” he said.

“The main objective of opening the Beitbridge branch is to reach out to our policy holders as well as coordinate with our sister branch in that country to make repatriations and burials dignified. This is one of our initiatives to decentralise services across the country. As we broaden our assets base, it is important that we create jobs and business opportunities for people around Beitbridge.”

Dr Maziwisa said they were going to construct two similar parlours in Chiredzi and Zvishavane next year.

He said they had also invested in other funeral parlours across the country by capacitating them with the requisite resources including, modern buses, hearse, and ambulances among other equipment. He added that they were looking at creating an average of 10 jobs at every branch countrywide.

“The idea is to create space for the local authority and other keys stakeholders in our mortuary as and when the need arises.

“Basically, we want to offer a key service as a transit point for repatriations. Our clients may access funeral assurance and funeral services here, ” said Dr Maziwisa.

Doves Holdings board chairman, Major General Engelbert Rugeje said they had redirected the company investment focus to infrastructure development and new other products to adapt to the changes in the international and regional markets.

“For the projected foreseeable future, we will also continue to acquire and develop properties as a form of long term investments,” he said.

Beitbridge district hospital, is a referral centre for 120 000 people and also caters for a daily transit population, relies on a mortuary which carries 30 bodies at any given time.

However, due to deaths emanating from road accidents on highways leading to both Harare and Bulawayo the mortuary is perennially overflowing with bodies.

The Herald is reliably informed that the major destinations of Zimbabweans’ bodies repatriated from South Africa are Plumtree, Bulawayo, Tsholotsho, Nkayi, Gwanda, Beitbridge, Matobo and Zaka, Chiredzi, Mwenezi and Bikita in Masvingo province. It is also understood that most of the people die in winter and the major causes are diseases such as Brancho pneumonia, Hepatitis B, Meningitis, Pulmonary TB, Pneumonia Hepatitis, HIV/AIDS and other Retro Viral Diseases.

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