BULAWAYO – A mother and her two daughters allegedly murdered by their father in the United Kingdom on July 4 will be laid to rest in Bulawayo on Tuesday, the family has announced.
The bodies of the three arrived in Zimbabwe in the early hours of Monday aboard an Ethiopian Airlines flight after weather-related disruptions in Addis Ababa delayed their arrival from Saturday.
They are expected to arrive in Bulawayo later on Monday following a road transfer from Harare.
Nothabo Zandile Tshuma, 42, and her daughters, Natalie, 15, and Nala, 5, were found dead at their home in Bedford, England, on July 6.
An inquest that opened last Tuesday heard they died from head injuries.
Nothabo’s husband, Ndodana Mkhanyisi Tshuma, 42, who is also the father of the children, was arrested in Johannesburg, South Africa, on July 10. He faces extradition to the United Kingdom where police intend to charge him with the triple murder.
In a statement, Nothabo’s family said a church service would be held at Lobengula Brethren in Christ Church on Tuesday morning, followed by burial at Luveve Cemetery “where Nothabo and her two beautiful daughters will be laid to rest together.”
“This has been an unbearably painful journey for our family. We sincerely thank everyone who has stood with us throughout this difficult time… Your prayers, messages, visits, kindness and unwavering support have carried us through some of our darkest moments,” the family said.
A remembrance service was held for Nothabo and her children at Bedford’s Corn Exchange on Friday last week after being moved from St James Church, Biddenham, to accommodate more than 500 mourners.
Tributes were read out, including one from Nala’s class teacher, Nikki Woodworth, who said: “Her hugs were legendary.”
Michelle Ncube, Zandile’s cousin, told mourners: “Words cannot begin to describe the depth of our loss.
“She blessed us with her dry wit, her intelligence. She loved gardening. But she didn’t just nurture flowers — she nurtured people.”
Gemma Gibson, headmistress of Bedford Girls’ School, where Natalie was a pupil, said: “When we think of Natalie, we picture her smile first… it simply reflected the beautiful person she was.
“She was a composed and thoughtful pupil who loved learning, but it was her kindness that left the biggest impression.”
Natalie represented the school 107 times in lacrosse, tennis and hockey, among other sports.
“She will forever be loved and remembered by all of us at Bedford Girls’ School,” Gibson said.
One of the organisers of the service, Jabu Ncube, who had known Zandile for 20 years after meeting at university, said: “How do you find words to confirm something that is unspeakable?
“How do you find words to comprehend something that is incomprehensible? I have the task of finding the words.
“Remember them as the angels that they are.”
Toby, one of Zandile’s colleagues in the forensic data analytics team at Forensic Risk Alliance in London, said she showed “exceptional professionalism, sharp intelligence and a passion for her work, with kindness.”
If you want, I can tighten it further for length or sharpen the intro to hit harder.
