Maria, Consolata to be buried in the same coffin, grave

Dar es Salaam. Conjoined twins Maria and Consolata, who passed away in Iringa on Saturday, will be buried tomorrow.

They will be buried at the Tosamaganga cemetery, Iringa District Commissioner Richard Kimesera said yesterday on behalf of Iringa Regional Commissioner Amina Masenza.

The 21-year old twins will be buried in the same coffin, Mr Kasesela revealed, adding that the requiem mass for the two will be held at the Ruaha Catholic University (Rucu) where the two were studying a degree progamme.

Close relatives of the deceased were meeting to finalise burial arrangements.

One of them, the twins’ bother, Mr David Mwakikuti, said he was deeply saddened by the demise of his siblings – especially considering that, after the death of both their parents, they were being taken care of by some relatives and humane institutions.

The head of the Iringa-based Maria and Consolata Sisters institution, Sr Jane Nungi, said that soon after the conjoined twins were born, their parents handed them over to the church because they could not bring them up on their own.

“When they were being prepared for holy baptism, their father asked the church to choose names for them – and we just as promptly decided to call them Maria and Consolata,” Sr Nungi recalls. Commenting on the twins, the Ruaha Catholic University (Rucu)Vice Chancellor, the Rev Dr Cephas Msemwa, said, “They were good students at the university…we have all been shocked by their death.”

Maria and Consolata were born in Makete District, Njombe Region, in 1996. They went to Ikonda Primary School for their early education. They then attended Maria Consolata Secondary School and Udzungwa Secondary School. Thereafter, they were enrolled at Rucu for a bachelor’s degree in arts with education.

The conjoined twins were cared for by the Roman Catholic organisation known as Maria and Consolata Sisters from when they were born until when they completed Form Six.

The twins reportedly died from heart complications. This came about after they were admitted to the Jakaya Kikwete Cardiac Institute at the Muhimbili National Hospital in Dar es Salaam, from where they were discharged on May 18, and sent back to Iringa Regional Hospital where they finally died.