The Zimbabwean medical community is in deep mourning after the tragic deaths of Bulawayo-based health professionals Dr Goodnow Tanaka Machadu and his wife, Sakhile, who were killed in a devastating road accident on Christmas Day.
News of the couple’s passing has spread widely across social media platforms, triggering an outpouring of grief from colleagues, friends, and former classmates, many of whom shared tributes celebrating their lives and contributions to healthcare.
Sympathy has also poured in for the couple’s young children, whose future has been profoundly altered by the sudden loss of both parents.
Images from the crash scene, showing their vehicle extensively damaged after colliding with a tree, have circulated online, with some speculation suggesting the car may have been travelling at high speed at the time of the accident.
According to The NewsHawks, Dr Machadu trained as a medical doctor at the University of Zimbabwe, while his wife Sakhile qualified as a pharmacist after studying at the same institution before advancing her studies at the National University of Science and Technology in Bulawayo. The pair graduated around 2013, began their relationship a year earlier, and tied the knot in 2016. Details regarding the number of children they leave behind have not been officially confirmed.
Dr Machadu previously served under the Ministry of Health and worked with the Bulawayo Medical Group before co-establishing Lady Coletta Private Hospital in Plumtree, Matabeleland South. Through Meds Incorporated, he and his partners significantly improved access to quality healthcare in the border town.
Lady Coletta Private Hospital grew out of community health initiatives introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic, initially focusing on screening and diagnostic services before expanding into a fully fledged medical facility serving Plumtree and surrounding areas.
In an interview earlier this year, Dr Machadu revealed plans to develop the hospital into a multidisciplinary centre capable of attracting patients from across the border while creating employment opportunities for local residents. He also disclosed that a clinic established at Dingumuzi Primary School had since evolved into a fully operational hospital.
Sakhile Machadu had a varied professional journey, working as a pharmacist before transitioning into life coaching at Camps Unlimited. She also served at Plaza Pharmacies in Harare and held several healthcare-related roles in Bulawayo.
