Roy Bennett, Wife Cremated in the United States

January 30, 2018
| Report Focus News

Friends and relatives of the late former MDC-T treasurer general Roy Bennett and his wife will not be able to view the couple’s bodies after close family members said the two were set to be cremated before their remains are flown back home.

The former Chimanimani legislator and his wife, Heather died along with a family friend and two others when the helicopter they were flying in came down in a mountainous area in New Mexico, USA nearly two weeks ago.

Cynthia Bennett, sister to the late politician, told NewZimbabwe.com on Monday that the couple’s daughter was in the south western American State to arrange for her parents’ cremation and repatriation.

“Nothing has happened so far (in terms of burial arrangements). We are still waiting for the ashes to come home.

“The daughter went over there last week on Monday to have their bodies cremated.

“We are still to hear more about burial arrangements.”

Cynthia could, however, not be drawn into any further comment saying additional information shall be made available to the media when they have completed the formalities of repatriating the remains.

But a statement by the family last week indicated they were planning three funeral wakes in three different countries, namely Zimbabwe, South Africa and Zambia.

This was because they had established intimate relationships with communities in the three neighbouring countries since Bennett was a farmer in Chimanimani before fleeing to South Africa when he was being persecuted by former President Robert Mugabe’s regime over a decade ago.

The couple’s death was met with shock from among Zimbabweans and MDC-T supporters in particular who had a fond relationship with them.