Rusape – Collin Mukondomi, the human resources officer at Rusape General Hospital, was allegedly assaulted by irate mourners at a church service on Tuesday after delivering a eulogy that sparked outrage among the deceased’s family and friends. The incident occurred at St John’s United Methodist Church in Vengere, Rusape.
The controversy arose when Mukondomi reportedly described the late Martin Karichi, who passed away last Saturday, as having a poor work record. He further alleged that Karichi would take medication from the hospital pharmacy and illegally treat people.
According to eyewitnesses, Mukondomi’s remarks shocked and angered the mourners, prompting them to drag him out of the church and assault him before he fled the funeral.
Mr Philip Kanengoni, the church’s laity leader, confirmed the incident but declined to provide details, stating, “Sorry, I am not comfortable to discuss that issue with the Press.”
Another senior church member, who wished to remain anonymous, condemned Mukondomi’s behaviour as “uncouth” and “unAfrican,” emphasising that it is culturally inappropriate to speak ill of the dead.
The senior church member recounted the events leading up to the alleged assault: “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.”
“However, Mukondomi took to the podium and began making disparaging remarks about Sekuru Karichi, shocking relatives, church members and friends. 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.”
The situation escalated when “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,” the senior church member added.
While Mukondomi acknowledged sharing “lesser-known aspects” of Karichi’s character, he initially denied being assaulted, claiming he left the church peacefully.
“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 stated.
He further explained, “As a nurse aide, there were some misconduct issues, and we had demoted him to a general hand. The mourners took issue with my decision to share this information publicly.”
Mukondomi described the ensuing commotion: “One person approached me and asked why I had shared those details. I apologised, explaining that I had thought the mourners wanted to hear about the deceased’s history.”
‘‘I was asked to leave the church. Others, however, saw no problem with my speech and wanted me to return. There was commotion between those who supported me and those who opposed me.”
‘‘That was the source of the uproar. No one assaulted me. Someone opened my car door and told me to leave; so I did,” Mukondomi initially claimed.
However, Mukondomi later contacted The Manica Post to express remorse for his words and acknowledge that his actions were wrong.
“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,” said Mukondomi before ending the call. He indicated that he intends to apologise to Karichi’s family once tensions have subsided.
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