Sanelisiwe Magagula to Be Buried in Lupane
By Southerton Business Times Reporter, Bulawayo
The late Sanelisiwe Magagula, an aide to businessman Wicknell Chivayo’s wife, Lucy Muteke, will be buried at her rural home in Lupane, Matabeleland North Province, on Monday following her death in last week’s helicopter crash.
Magagula, 32, was among six people killed when the helicopter they were travelling in crashed in the Marondera area on Wednesday. Family spokesperson Lamlani Ncube confirmed that Magagula’s body is expected to arrive in Bulawayo on Sunday before a church service of remembrance is held at the family home in Entumbane. The body will subsequently be transported to Lupane, where burial is scheduled for Monday.
Magagula was travelling with Chivayo, Muteke and the two pilots, Captain Calvin Soda and Captain Courage Mutavirwa, when the helicopter crashed. The accident claimed the lives of all six people on board. The crash has triggered an outpouring of grief across Zimbabwe, with attention focused on the circumstances surrounding the deaths of Chivayo and Muteke, who were prominent figures in the country's business and social circles.
Pilots Buried
The funerals of the two pilots were also scheduled for Sunday. Captain Soda was buried in Marondera on Sunday afternoon, while Captain Mutavirwa was due to be buried in Chiredzi later the same day. The separate burials follow the recovery and identification of the remains of those who died in the crash. The Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe is investigating the circumstances surrounding the accident, while authorities are expected to establish what caused the helicopter to crash.
Chivayo, Muteke Funeral Arrangements
Meanwhile, Chivayo and Muteke are scheduled to be buried at Glen Forest Cemetery in Harare on Thursday. Their deaths have attracted widespread attention in Zimbabwe and beyond, with tributes coming from political, business, religious and social circles. Chivayo was a prominent businessman who was frequently associated with major infrastructure and energy projects and maintained a high-profile presence on social media. Muteke, his wife, was also known publicly through the couple’s business and social activities.
Magagula, however, was remembered by her family and those close to the couple as an aide who worked with Muteke. Her burial in Lupane will give relatives and members of the community an opportunity to pay their final respects before the family lays her to rest at her rural home. The deaths of Magagula, Chivayo, Muteke, Soda and Mutavirwa, together with the sixth person who was on board, have left several families mourning as investigations into the fatal helicopter crash continue.
Sanelisiwe Magagula burial
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