Dalu fund halfway to target - but time running out

Mr Mncube, 26, died last Wednesday after being mauled by a tiger as he was cleaning its enclosure at the Zion Wildlife Gardens in Whangarei.

The Zimbabwe Association of New Zealand began a public appeal last weekend for funds to send Mr Mncube's body home.

An association spokesman said today that about $5700 of the $10,000 to $12,000 had been raised.

However, the balance would probably have to be found by tomorrow because the nature of the injuries that Mr Mncube suffered meant his body would need to be buried soon.

Mr Mncube had South African citizenship, but his family came from the Hwange in Zimbabwe.

One of Mr Mncube's brothers, Fortune Shumba, was quietly confident that the appeal would reach its target.

There had been a slow start because of the Queen's Birthday holiday on Monday, but interest had picked up.

"With the number of people who have been calling and asking details, we might be lucky and get the funds," he said.

"A lot of people liked him, so we might get some positive news."

Mr Shumba said it was important for Mr Mncube's body to be transported back to Africa so his mother could have closure.

"In our culture, that's the only way you can have a proper burial - you have to be buried by your family back home," he said.

"If not, it will be a very big disappointment and we would feel like we did not do enough to help."

Mr Shumba was among about 300 people who attended a service for Mr Mncube at the Zion park yesterday.

A separate trust fund has been set up to raise money for Mr Mncube's two children, a son in Africa and a daughter in New Zealand.

Appeal details.-

+ The Zimbabwe Association of New Zealand's fund to return Mr Mncube's body to Africa. National Bank account 06-0101-0776318-00. Reference - Dalu Fund.

+ The Dalu Mncube Family Trust. Account name: Henderson Reeves Connell Rishworth Trust Account. Account number 03-0497-0286461-02. Reference - Dalu Family Trust.

NZPA