Staff ReporterHARARE, Zimbabwe – In a tragic turn of events, Kundayi Manungo, the daughter of Deputy Chief Secretary in the Office of the President and Cabinet, Willard Manungo, has passed away following a road traffic accident. She was 33.
Kundayi, who was serving as an architect at the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA), met with the accident on Thursday afternoon while returning to Harare. The accident occurred in Melfort, just before a bridge between the dualised sections of the highway. She was returning from the commissioning of the renovated old ZIMRA Customs House in Mutare.
Her father, Willard Manungo, confirmed the heartbreaking news to The Herald, expressing his profound loss. “I lost a daughter, Kundayi Manungo, in a road accident in Melfort on Thursday around 14:30 PM,” he said. The family has announced plans to lay her to rest in Shurugwi on Tuesday.
Mourners are gathering at the family’s residence at 15 Worpleston Way in Glen Lorne, Harare, where Kundayi will lie in state on Sunday. The journey to Shurugwi for her burial is scheduled for Monday morning.
The Office of the President and Cabinet (OPC) has extended its condolences to the Manungo family. Deputy Chief Secretary in the OPC, Reverend Paul Damasane, spoke at her funeral wake, reflecting on the profound sadness of the event. “It never is anything that is usual because we have grown to know that you bury your parents and your elders, not the other way round,” he remarked. He extended prayers for strength and comfort to the bereaved family during this difficult time.
The funeral wake at the Manungo family home was marked by the presence of several senior government officials, including Vincent Hungwe, Chairman of the Public Service Commission, highlighting the impact of this loss on the community and the government.
