Loved ones pay respect to slain oral hygienist at Diepkloof Hall
The late Zondi, a chief dental hygienist at the Lillian Ngoyi CHC, was shot and killed outside Bara Hospital on May 30 as she was driving to work in what was believed to be an apparent hit.
Workers of the Gauteng Department of Health together with family and friends gathered at the Diepkloof Hall to celebrate the life of Xolani Zondi (54) in a memorial service.
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The late Zondi, who was working as a chief dental hygienist at the Lillian Ngoyi CHC was shot and killed outside Bara Hospital on the morning of May 30 as she was driving to work in what appeared to be a hit.
Her colleagues described her as a passionate and organised individual who will always be remembered for her contagious laugh and enthusiasm for her work, especially engaging in community projects.
Zondi was appointed as an oral hygienist grade one in the Johannesburg health district in 2002 and was later promoted to be a chief oral hygienist in 2018. At the time of her passing, she was serving as one of the six oral hygienists in the Johannesburg metro.
According to the chief director for Johannesburg Health District, Mogeru Morewane, the district has lost a dedicated and hardworking employee.
“We are still devastated by this senseless killing of a young woman.
“At this point the motive is unknown but the police are investigating. We wish to extend deepest condolences to the family of our employee, her colleagues, and friends,” said Morewane.
Her close colleague and fellow oral hygienist, Vangile Thabethe described her as a gentle individual who managed to work with people regardless of their different personalities.
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“Zondi was one of the few people who was the first to come to work and was always the last one to leave. She was very committed and dedicated to her work and she used to laugh a lot. She loved community outreach programmes and she would organise them for us. Working closely with the community was very close to her heart, whether it was old age homes, informal settlements or hotels,” Thabethe said.
She added that they last saw Zondi alive on Monday when they were preparing for their National Oral Health programme which was due to take place on Tuesday.
“We still don’t have words to express how shattered we are about her passing and the gruesome manner in which she was killed.
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“When we arrived at the murder scene together with our other colleagues we could not believe the state in which her body was in.
“It was really traumatizing, and I have never seen anything like that before. Even today we cannot speak about her in past tense because it is still hard to believe that she is gone.”
She added that after witnessing the gruesome crime scene, the Department had to offer them counselling.
The Department of Health is urging residents to work with law enforcement agencies and to share any information they might have so that Zondi’s killers are brought to justice.
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