TZANEEN – Hundreds of mourners gathered to bid farewell to Henry ‘Mabito’ Zitha, at Rhema Church in Nkowankowa on Saturday, May 23.

Mabito sadly passed on Saturday, May 16, at a private hospital in Tzaneen, after he went missing in the early hours of that day.

His body was later discovered in the afternoon near a fence at the hospital premises.

Speaking to the Herald, his firstborn son, Mpho Zitha, said the family chose to focus on giving him a dignified funeral, and they will later regroup to find out how it came about that he went missing at the hospital.

During the ceremony, Mpho said he remembers him as a loving father, who always followed his daily WhatsApp statuses.

“We mostly spoke about the word of God and fitness things,” he said.

His childhood friend, Pius Shilubana, says he will remember all the good times they had, especially the memories they shared on their vacations.

Another friend, Billy Mhlongo, who spoke on behalf of all Zitha’s friends, said the last communication which he had was a text he received from Henry the night before his disappearance, which read “Take care and good night”.

Mpho told the Herald that his family is appreciative of the support they received from service providers they used for the funeral activities and people who came from different parts of the country.

“The support which we received as a family is overwhelming. People supported us in various ways, including money, with some giving us discounts when we did business with them, stating that our father was a people’s person. We also had the Deputy Minister of Police, Cassel Mathale, who came to pay his last tribute,” Mpho added.

Zitha leaves behind his wife, Priscilla, his three children, Mpho, Nhlawulo and Zalitha and four siblings, Freddy, Simon, Barracks and Queen.