The government’s silence following the collapse of a guest house belonging to Nigeria evangelist where three Zimbabweans are confirmed to have died is worrying.
Three families – two from Bulawayo – have been battling to get answers about what happened to their loved ones when the building collapsed on September 12, killing 115 people.
Thousands of Zimbabweans visit the Synagogue Church of All Nations (Scoan) every year and the tragedy should have alarmed the authorities.
South Africa has been leading with example in this case after it sent rescue teams to work with the Nigerians soon after learning of the disaster.
At least 84 South Africans were confirmed to have died and scores were injured.
The South African government sent a military plane to repatriate the survivors and forensic experts have just returned after examining bodies of the victims.
There are indications the identification of the bodies will take a while longer and chances that more Zimbabweans could have perished are high. The South African government moved in to set up a ministerial committee to deal with the tragedy.
South Africans have been getting high level updates on the situation in Nigeria on the fate of their loved ones yet in Zimbabwe families have to rely on heresy. The families of the Zimbabweans confirmed dead says Scoan has not been forthcoming with information and in some cases lied about the fate of their relatives.
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Bereaved families have to be protected from further trauma through the deployment of people from the Zimbabwean embassy in Abuja to handle the investigations and identification of bodies.
What is emerging after the disaster is that those who died did not travel as a group after those who went in a group of 24 all reportedly returned home safely.
This will make the identification of the likely casualties a challenge hence the need by the government to publicise the tragedy and seek out those who could be missing their relatives.
Families of those who died should also be assisted by the State to bring back the bodies and to bankroll the funerals.
