Dr Christopher Tapfumanei passes on, on HWN UPDATE

Ministry of Health and Child Care principal director for curative services and former chief executive officer of Harare Central Hospital Dr Christopher Tapfumanei has died. Dr Tapfumanei died at the Avenues Clinic yesterday of kidney failure. He was 63. In a statement, Secretary for Health and Child Care Dr Gerald Gwinji, said the ministry had lost one of its senior colleagues.

"He has a long history of working in Government. Firstly he worked at the Defence Forces (Ministry of Defence) and then later on, he joined the Ministry of Health and Child Care," said Dr Gwinji.

Family spokesperson Themba Tapfumanei said: "It was a hard blow to the family. He was the pillar of the family; the father figure to our family and, I am devastated."

Dr Tapfumanei was a specialist surgeon with Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) from Ibadan University in Nigeria acquired in 1979 and a Masters in Medicine (MMed) from the University of Zimbabwe, which he obtained in 1993.

Dr Tapfumanei was buried on Saturday at Glen Forest. He is survived by his wife and two children.