AN IT EXECUTIVE STOOD NEXT TO HIS ESTRANGED WIFE AT THEIR DAUGHTER'S SCHOOL SPORTS DAY JUST HOURS BEFORE HE ALLEGEDLY MURDERED HER AND THEIR TWO CHILDREN AT THE FAMILY'S £1.3MILLION HOME AND FLED BRITAIN.(PHOTO).

 SLAIN ZANDILE ATTENDED KIDS' SPORTS DAY WITH FUGITIVE DAD MARK - UK PAPER REVEAL FINAL HOURS

Mark was acting normal on Friday, attended family event with Zandile

An IT executive stood next to his estranged wife at their daughter's school sports day just hours before he allegedly murdered her and their two children at the family's £1.3million home and fled Britain.

Mark Tshuma, who earned £100,000, was seen in CCTV footage at Heathrow airport on Saturday where he took a flight to his native Zimbabwe after allegedly killing his whole family.

The bodies of his wife Zandile Tshuma, 42, and their daughters Natalie, 15, and Nala, five, were found in the family's property near Bedford on Monday.

But just the day before he fled to southern Africa, Tshuma had been acting normal, a friend has said - and even attended the summer family event with his wife.

Andrew Southam, who services the swimming pool at the family's home, said: 'I saw Mark on Friday. He was fine. He was looking forward to his daughter's sports day and praying that the weather would hold out, because previous sports days had been cancelled. So he was really looking forward to that.'

Both daughters attended local private schools. Natalie was at the £20,000-a-year Bedford Girls School while Nala attended Pilgrims Pre-Preparatory School.

Mr Southam, 64, said he had been at their house to service the pool, and that as usual, Mr Tshuma had seemed a happy family man. _'He was a lovely guy, always smiling, very polite, spoke well.'

Another parent told the Mail: 'Mark was at the Sports Day on Friday with Zandie. It was known they were divorcing.'

The following day Tshuma was seen dressed in black, with a blue sweater and Apple watch, clutching bottles of Coke and water, holding a boarding pass and pushing a suitcase as he went through an E-gate at Heathrow before flying to Zimbabwe.

Friends have revealed he and his wife were in the process of divorcing and had recently got a valuation of their luxury home to put it on the market as part of separating.

Tshuma had told friends he did not want a divorce as he could not live without Zandile and their children.

One friend said: _'They had been having marriage problems for quite a while. Their relationship had broken down and Zandile had had enough. She was a great mother and wife and a lot of the problems were down to Mark's controlling behaviour. She told us that they'd had the house valued and had decided to separate. She wanted to start a new life with the kids.'

Another friend added: _'The marriage was over and Zandile wanted to move on without Mark. She was a very clever woman who worked in IT and was more than capable of creating a new life for herself with the girls. It's absolutely heartbreaking what's happened and we are all devastated.'_

One Zimbabwean who claimed to be a friend of the IT expert wrote on social media: _'He was going through a divorce told him to let her go but he couldn't.'

In a tribute to Zandile and her daughters, a family member said: _'The Khumalo family is deeply saddened to confirm the passing of our beloved Zandile (Nothabo) Khumalo and her two children. During this time of unimaginable loss, we wish to express our heartfelt gratitude to everyone who has reached out with prayers, messages of comfort, and support.'

They asked for privacy and said funeral arrangements were pending.

Mrs Gemma Gibson, Headmistress of Bedford Girls' School said of 15-year-old Natalie: _'Natalie was a bright and accomplished Year 10 student who was dearly loved by everyone at Bedford Girls' School. She was a talented dancer, musician and keen sportswoman.'

Headteacher Jo Webster, of Pilgrims Pre Prep School, added of Nala: _'Nala was a much-loved member of our school community who brought joy to those around her every day... Known for her inquisitive and bubbly nature, positivity and wonderful sense of humour, she was a little ray of sunshine.'

Detective Inspector Lee Martin, Bedfordshire Police senior investigating officer, said: _'We know that Mark Tshuma left the country on Saturday and is now believed to be in Zimbabwe. We are urgently working to find and apprehend him, and would appeal to him directly to hand himself in.'

Addressing Tshuma directly, he said: 'Mark, unthinkable harm has been caused to those around you... Criminal investigation knows no borders. We are actively working with national and international agencies to track you down. Please do the right thing, come forward and hand yourself in to local authorities.'

Zandile was a high achieving director specialising in financial crime, fraud investigations and anti-money laundering. She previously worked in global banking and consulting for companies including Barclays and KPMG and was vice chair of the Female Fraud Forum.

She attended Midlands State University in Gweru, Zimbabwe, and later worked in Tanzania before the couple moved to Bedford in 2011.

Tshuma studied Management Information Systems at Solusi University in Zimbabwe before completing his Bachelor of Sciences degree in Plymouth. He later studied for a diploma in Business Systems Analysis and Design at City St George's, University of London.

Tshuma describes himself as a 'results oriented and energetic IT leader'. - Daily Mail