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of the Shona culture but that has become pretty rare in today’s world.
It was neither a wedding, a funeral, a memorial service nor a graduation party. It was an event at which they hoped to put their dead to rest.
Ndakaziva Maruta was the victim of a particularly brutal case of domestic violence in which she lost her life at the hands of her husband Mamvura.
Whereas the modern woman can rely on the courts to see justice done, Ndakaziva’s case brought no such satisfaction to her family. Mamvura somehow escaped the wrath of the law and they had no choice but to bury their daughter and move on. This was in 1943.
But it is believed that far from resting in peace, Ndakaziva’s spirit returned to her husband’s family to seek vengeance.
In the traditional belief, once a person is wrongfully killed by another the dead will not rest until the killer or their family have made a payment of appeasement to the deceased’s family.
And now almost 60 years later, the Mamvura family has finally acknowledged wrongdoing in the death of Ndakaziva and they have formally asked for forgiveness from her spirit by appeasing her nephews and nieces.
It was a unique experience to witness first hand the appeasement ceremony (kuripa ngozi) held at Maruta Village under Chief Hwedza.
Mamvura who was the actual guilty party passed away last year but the children he bore with the wife he married after his first spouse’s death are the ones who have been driven to make amends to Ndaizivei’s family.
Ndaizivei’s nephew Robert Maruta who is now the head of the family recounted the story:
“It was in 1943 that my aunt died. I was a young boy and I cannot even remember her but her story has been with me all these years.
“It is said that she had an argument with her husband while they were in the fields. When they went back home he attacked her and beat her to death. Then he tried to string her up to make it look like suicide.
“He was taken in by the police and released and we never knew what exactly happened.
“My grandfather was told that he had to bury her in the grounds of Hwedza Hospital and the family thought that was the end of it.
“But in 1959 after my father was dead, Mamvura went to the chief and tried to sue me for the cattle that he had paid as lobola for my aunt.
“After listening to both sides of the story the chief’s court ruled that Mamvura was in the wrong and he was the one who needed to pay reparations to the family for what he had done to my aunt.
“Mamvura did not heed the chief’s advice and went away.
“Then in 2010 Maruta was surprised one day to find the Mamvura clan knocking on his door asking if they could make amends for Ndaizivei’s death.
“Langton and Eric, Mamvura’s sons recall that their father did not have a sudden change of heart and moments of contrition. He literally had to be dragged to face his in-laws.
“He said that he was ill and could not make the journey. One grandson lost his patience and grabbed a limb and soon others joined in and we brought him here to see the Marutas.”
But what had driven the Mamvura children and grandchildren to feel obliged to face up to a death that happened long before they were born?
“Inexplicable deaths and a host of other problems were dogging the family. And every time we asked any diviner, from the church or a traditional one, the answer was always the same: The spirit of the woman who had been killed in our home needed to be put to rest.”
“It is true that death and misfortune come to all families but when there is more to it than that it becomes clear that there are other agents at play.
“Somehow the whole family will just be under a blanket curse.”
The Mamvura family also said they had always been aware of the story of their father and his first wife’s death and they have always felt that human blood can never be spilt without repercussions.
When the Mamvura family brought the issue to the Maruta family the latter said it was better for both families to consult a diviner to confirm that the problems dogging the Mamvura family were really originating from the angry spirit of their aunt.
The diviner who confirmed that to be true said that the Mamvura family needed to pay two heads of cattle and two goats to appease the spirit of the dead woman.
And on top of that it was up to the Maruta family to charge other payments on top to ensure that Ndaizivei could finally rest in peace. The family settled on 10 head of cattle.
On the day of the appeasement ceremony the most intriguing aspect was the total lack of animosity between the two families. It was all jokes and laughter as if they had gathered for an ordinary feast.
Maruta opened the ceremony with a prayer to God calling for the Almighty to look kindly on all parties concerned.
He said as far as he is concerned there should be no conflict between traditional religion and the church as God known as Mwari has always been a part of our culture.
One of his sisters who is a member of an Apostolic Faith Sect said that her church encouraged followers to join their families in appeasing avenging spirits and not to pretend that they are demons to be banished through prayer.
After that everyone made way to the cattle pen to formally view the nine beasts for the reparation (three had been paid for in cash).
At the pen Maruta took in some water in a calabash, which he then sprayed on the cattle while he informed Ndaizivei’s spirit that the wrongs done unto her have finally been righted.
He urged her to vacate the home of her husband and leave his offspring in peace.
He also told her to remember that the one who had actually wronged her had since died and the innocent who were suffering had made amends.
He then urged the clan ancestors to now take Ndaizivei into the family bosom so that she would no longer be a wandering spirit in a stranger’s home.
Next he took a few grains of maize and scattered them in the pen repeating the injunctions.
Next he presented a goat then a cockerel to the departed after which the gathering ululated and clapped hands.
Then it was time to slaughter the dedicated goat and cockerel to be eaten with further words to appraise the spirit of Ndakaziva of the fact that the two families were now reunited in the kinship that her marriage started.
Maruta says Ndaizivei’s spirit can no longer bother the Mamvura family and after a month there will be another ceremony during which one of the cattle will be killed.
“I will invite my relatives and friends and show them the payment that has come in to appease my aunt’s spirit and to inform them that she can no longer be a curse to the Mamvura family.
“If at all she is not satisfied with what has been done then she will have to show it to us but she can never go back to her husband’s family.”
Maruta said he is happy that his aunt’s soul can now find rest but he personally never felt any umbrage for members of Mamvura’s family beyond the culprit himself.
Otilia Maruta, niece to Ndakaziva says that while the avenging spirit is a bringer of justice, it is hard to think of a mother turning on her own children after death.
An elder who was present at the function commented that the Mamvura family had not done away with death and misfortune.
But from now on the adversities that face them should be the ones that they can take on with equanimity without feeling that they have been sorely singled out by unseen forces to be always at the receiving end of life’s bitterest gifts.
There are some people who dismiss the cases of avenging spirits as demons, which can be exorcised through prayer while others do not believe in the paranormal altogether.
But there has to be a good reason for one family to harness their resources and willingly hand over 12 head of cattle, three goats and a cockerel to another family in the search of peace of mind.
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