COLLEAGUES STRIP NAKED AT BUS RANK MARSHAL’S FUNERAL

PIGG’S PEAK – There was probably no other way to celebrate the life of popular bus rank marshal Mzimela Maseko than for his former colleagues to strip naked during his funeral.

This is exactly what happened during Maseko’s funeral on Saturday near Nkomazi, where he was laid to rest. Mzimela, as he was popularly known, was a bus rank marshal as well as conductor. He was most popular for dancing completely naked, especially when drunk. Prior to the funeral, his body was taken to the Pigg’s Peak Bus Rank for colleagues to pay their last respects, as some of them shouted in celebration of his life as the casket was driven around. Several kombi drivers and bus rank marshals then later on Saturday proceeded to the funeral to pay their last respects. Mzimela was known in many bus ranks, including Manzini and Nhlangano. During national events such as the Marula Festival, he was known for pretending to be a police officer but used his own version of a uniform. He would carry a stick around and pretend to be the police commissioner and control crime, mainly at Buhleni during national events.
For many roadshows held at the Buhleni Business Complex, residents there said a roadshow would not be complete without seeing Mzimela dancing.

At his funeral on Saturday morning, the mourners insisted in celebrating his final moments the way he lived. Several of his former colleagues stripped naked while othersstarted spinning their vehicles. In a video that the Times has in its possession, Mzimela’s naked colleagues are also seen carrying rocks while walking towards a church where the service was held. Others conducted a spinning and drifting session using the Quantums that they drove. To give him a funeral fit for a celebrated conductor, transport operators also financially contributed to his funeral. They also provided free transport for some of the mourners who wanted to pay last final respects to Mzimela. This was not the first funeral where marshals and conductors displayed disorderly conduct, as in another last year, they even threw condoms and alcohol into the grave of their colleague.  Hope Shiba, the Secretary of the Piggg’s Peak Mini and Midi Buses Association, described Mzimela as a dedicated worker.

He said his commitment was unmatchable and many people loved him. “You will know that when he calls the customer to board the bus, it will fill up quickly,” said Shiba. He commended Mzimela’s former employers Siphiwo, Phumzakhele and Kwesabas for contributing towards the funeral to give him a worthy farewell. Shiba also revealed that even his friends contributed in a way that they could, to ensure that Mzimela’s funeral was well catered for.

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