Tandare burial set for Monday in Harare

By Tichaona Sibanda
16 March 2007

It has emerged that the late MDC activist Gift Tandare died from trauma caused by excessive bleeding from a single gunshot wound, amid reports that he will now be buried in Harare and not Mount Darwin.

Tandare’s elder brother Stephen told Newsreel on Friday Gift’s burial is now set for Monday at Granville cemetery just outside Harare. He said they were forced to switch plans for his younger brother’s burial because of unrealistic demands by Chief Kandeya from their home area in Mount Darwin.

Initially the Chief had refused to allow Gift’s family to bury him at Mashanga village on Saturday, on the grounds that he was an MDC activist. Now Chief Kandeya is demanding four head of cattle as payment to allow the deceased to be buried in his area. The elder Tandare feels it is against the family’s principles to pay a chief for the sake of burying his young brother.

‘Instead the decision to bury Gift in Harare has been welcomed with joy as everyone wanted to attend his burial. We’ve been humbled by the generosity and assistance given to us by the MDC. I am sure we have made the right decision,’ said Stephen.

He told us a pathologist’s report stated that Gift lost a lot of blood when he was fatally shot trying to scurry for cover in an attempt to avoid a volley of bullets fired by the police. It is believed police fired a high velocity weapon like an FN or AK assault rifle because the bullet travelled through his body.

‘The bullet entered through his right arm went through his chest causing internal trauma as it ruptured vital organs in his chest before exiting through his left arm. The way it has been explained to me by those with a medical background is that he died instantly and on the spot,’ Stephen said.

Those who have worked with Gift have praised him for his ‘incisive wit’ and said he was a ‘master of detail’ when it came to party activities. A well-known figure in Glen View, Tandare has been described a remarkable activist, a man of rare vision, integrity and courage.