Jambanja At the Funeral

Boss Beaten Up, Chased From Funeral After Criticising Deceased Subordinate

By Dr Masimba Mavaza

The human resources officer at Rusape General Hospital, Collin Mukondomi, was mercilessly attacked by angry mourners during a church service on Tuesday. The adage “the dead are never wrong “ was enforced forcefully by the Karichi family when a work colleague said what he thought was the truth. The actions of the Karichi family rubbished the overly said phrase which says “The truth will set you free”

As mourners sat and listened to the final speeches from friends and workmates of the late sekuru Karichi the unthinkable happened. The human resources officer Mr Mukondomi gave a controversial eulogy about the deceased, Martin Karachi, who passed away last Saturday.
Mukondomi reportedly criticized Karichi’s work record and accused him of taking medication from the hospital pharmacy to treat people illegally.
This upset the mourners and Karichi’s relatives, who then dragged Mukondomi out of St John’s United Methodist Church in Vengere and beat him up like a snake which had wondered in the house. Mukondomi threw his ego in the dust bin and ran like a mad man chasing nothing. He quickly left the funeral in a lightning speed in a great fear of being forced to join the deceased in the grave.

The church’s laity leader, Philip Kanengoni, confirmed the incident to The Manica Post but did not provide further details.

A senior church member, who wished to remain anonymous, confirmed that Mukondomi’s behaviour was inappropriate, as it is considered un-African to speak badly of the dead. Said the church member:
Mrs Mushawa, who was nominated to speak on behalf of Sekuru Karichi’s former colleagues, delivered a heartfelt tribute, recounting their positive working relationship until his retirement. This speech was to be spiced by Mukondomi who was not a virgin to the truth and brought the dark hidden dents in Sekuru Karichi’s dark past.
When Mukondomi took to the podium and began making disparaging remarks about Sekuru Karichi, shocking relatives, church members and friends the spirit of war was invoked.
He claimed that the late Sekuru Karichi was incorrectly addressed as ‘Dr’ since he was merely a nurse aide, and alleged this led to unauthorised use of hospital medications.
Mukondomi also boasted about saving Sekuru Karichi from dismissal and demoting him to a general hand. As the human resources officer, he emphasised his authority to hire and fire staff.
The mourners erupted in outrage, prompting the director of ceremonies to intervene and seize the microphone.
Sekuru Karichi’s relatives manhandled Mukondomi, causing chaos in the church. He was dragged outside and assaulted before fleeing from the premises.
We never expected such behaviour from a former colleague, especially one in a senior position. It was completely unacceptable.
Mukondomi admitted discussing the lesser-known aspects of Sekuru Karichi’s character, arguing that he saw no issue with what he said as he was invited to speak about the deceased’s work history. He also denied being assaulted, claiming he left the funeral peacefully. Mukondomi said:
I was given a slot to speak as someone who had worked with the deceased. I thought they wanted to hear about his work history, so I shared how we had worked well together.
However, I also revealed some of the deceased’s lesser-known qualities; which made some mourners uncomfortable.
Mukondomi later reached out to The Manica Post, admitting that what he did was wrong and expressing regret for his words.
He added that he was waiting for the tension to subside before approaching Sekuru Karichi’s family to offer his apology. Mukondomi said:
I wish to extend my sincerest apologies to all concerned parties. I have not yet approached them, as I believe emotions are still running high, but I intend to do so.
My comments were inappropriate, and I am not proud of them. What I said was not right.
The incident has stirred a public debate on when is the truth acceptable.