The Sunday News
Robin Muchetu, Senior Reporter
A SENIOR citizen from Nkulumane suburb Mr Armando Dube whose plight for food and medical provisions was highlighted in the Sunday News last week, has died.
Khulu Dube originally form Mozambique passed away on Monday at his Nkulumane home. He had been battling hypertension, prostate cancer, breathing problems and had suffered a stroke recently.
He and his wide Gogo Thuke Dube had been living in difficult circumstances with no income or much support, they also had no children to depend on and relied on the benevolence of neighbours.
Gogo Dube sells sand which brings in minimal support to the family.
Miss Sheilla Rateyiwa who is a neighbor to the family initially alerted the Sunday News of the aged couples’ condition, unfortunately Khulu Dube passed on before any medical help was rendered to him.
“He spent the whole of Sunday night crying complaining of chest pains. He would go outside to get some air. On Monday morning gogo bathed and dressed him and she went outside to try and cook a meal for him. Unfortunately, when other neighbors who had come and spent the night assisting and watching over him tried to check on him they found him dead at around 11am,” she said.
The residents are now appealing for assistance to proceed with the funeral.
“We need R5000 for the coffin and $276 for the grave. The neighbours contributed USD30 that was needed for the doctor who certified him dead. So, we really appeal for assistance so that we bury him in time. The funeral palour that we used said if we do not bury him in the next two days, they charge a fee of USD10 per day for storage so we are trying to run away from that,” she said.
Mourners are gathered at House Number 3915 Nkulumane and those willing to assist may contact Miss Rateyiwa on 0718542260.
@NyembeziMu
