Two little bodies laid to rest

It was on a Sunday, but residents put their commitments aside to bid farewell to two innocent children.

The occassion when the two boys were laid to rest was quite emotional and sombre. Rialivhiha Tshifaro (4) and his younger brother Ompfunaho Tshifaro (3) of Khumbe Zone 4 outside Thohoyandou died a cruel death when the house they were in caught fire on 4 March.

They were left on their own by their grandmother, Ms Meisie Mufamadi, who was attending to a client who was buying clay bricks from her at the nearby river. Their mother was away in Pretoria for a job interview when the incident happened.

They were buried by Mbavhalelo Funeral Undertakers, who conducted the whole funeral and erected beautiful tombstones for free.

The cause of the fire that gutted the house and its contents is still a mystery.

Speaking during the funeral, the councillor for Ward 33 of the Thulamela Municipality, Cllr Melta Rasendedza, urged the community to continue rallying behind the family as they were still under severe stress. "The family lost everything they had, including the precious lives of the two boys. Let us support them in whatever way we can, until they are better," she said.

A representative of Thovhele Calvin Nelwamondo said the incident was one of the saddest things to happen in his village. He urged parents to take extra care of their young children to avert tragic situations like this one.

Mbavhalelo Funeral Undertakers’ director, Mr Steven Maluleke, said he was touched by the incident. "It is not that I am also from this area, but the incident shocked us all and we decided there and then to give the boys a decent funeral," he said.

Date:16 March 2018

By: Elmon Tshikhudo

Elmon Tshikhudo started off as a photographer. He developed an interest in writing and started submitting articles to local as well as national publications. He became part of the Limpopo Mirror family in 2005 and was a permanent part of the news team until 2019.

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