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Thupeyo Muleya

Beitbridge Bureau

Mystery surrounds the arrival of a Covid-19 positive corpse of a Checheche man, Shingai Ndlovu, on Monday morning aboard a cross-border bus from South Africa.

It is suspected that the body could have been smuggled into the country to avoid the complicated process of repatriating a body from South Africa.

The body of Ndlovu was discovered aboard a Devine Logistics Bus from Johannesburg to Checheche, which had 16 other passengers, including his wife and child.

According to border sources, Ndlovu was not responsive during Covid-19 screening by Port Health officials, who then called in the police.

The police removed the body in line with Covid-19 management protocols, said an official who preferred anonymity, after finding no vital signs and need to move him to the hospital for confirmation.

Beitbridge District Medical Officer Dr Lenos Samhere could not be reached for comment yesterday.

Police officer commanding Beitbridge District Chief Superintendent Tichaona Nyongo said: “We were called in to take the man to hospital, which we did cautiously and he was pronounced dead upon arrival.”

Another source said the corpse tested positive for Covid-19, prompting health officials to test all the other 16 passengers and they all tested negative.

“The other passengers continued with their journey, while Ndlovu’s remains are still being kept at Beitbridge District Hospital’s mortuary,” said the official.

Zimbabwean and South African health authorities came up with more stringent measures recently to curtail the spread of Covid-19.