Corpse held hostage

Tendai Gukutikwa
Weekender Reporter
A NYANGA woman’s body allegedly remained in a mortuary for five days after her family refused to release it for burial until they received compensation equivalent to eight cattle from their son-in-law.
The long-running dispute came to light before Chief Mutasa’s community court last week when Dennis Mandipedza sought the customary distribution of his late wife’s belongings following her death in June.
However, the hearing quickly evolved into an airing of deep-seated grievances between the two families, revealing tensions that began before the woman was laid to rest.
Mandipedza said his in-laws, the Mapani family, demanded US$2 000 before they would agree to collect the body from the mortuary.
“My wife died in June and her body remained in the mortuary for five days because my in-laws refused to collect it. They demanded US$2 000, equivalent to eight cattle, saying they wanted compensation.
“I had already paid the bride price before we started staying together, so I could not understand why they wanted more money before her burial,” he said.
According to Mandipedza, negotiations between the two families resulted in the payment of US$1 000, equivalent to four cattle under customary arrangements, paving the way for the burial to proceed.
He said the body was initially taken to his homestead and lay in state overnight. However, the following morning, his in-laws allegedly collected the body and transported it to their rural home for burial without his consent.
“I believed that, as my wife, she would be buried at my homestead. Instead, they took her body the following morning and buried her at their place. I did not attend the burial because they had threatened to deal with us if we followed them.
“My family, including our two children, do not know where she was buried,” he said.
The dispute resurfaced when Mandipedza approached Chief Mutasa’s court after his in-laws allegedly blocked the customary distribution of his late wife’s belongings.
His father-in-law, Simba Mapani, rejected the allegations, and accused Mandipedza and his family of neglecting his daughter while she was alive.
“He never informed us that she was ill. I even met him while she was ill, but he never mentioned anything. She was admitted in hospital on a Saturday and died on Tuesday,” said Mapani.
Mapani said the family was later informed that their daughter had been transported to hospital by a motorcycle despite her critical condition.
“We were told she was so weak that she could not hold onto the motorcycle rider and had to be tied to him with a cloth. That shows she had been seriously ill for some time, yet nobody told us,” he said.
He questioned why Mandipedza’s family had not sought assistance from him despite owning a vehicle.
“I own a vehicle. They never came to ask for transport or assistance, yet they opted for a motorcycle. The circumstances surrounding my late daughter’s illness are suspicious,” he said.
Mapani also defended his family’s decision to bury their daughter at their homestead, alleging that signs of neglect were evident when they arrived at the Mandipedza home.
“When we arrived there, we found that the fireplace she used while alive was already being used by others. Even her personal belongings were already being used.
“We decided to take our daughter’s body because we felt she was being neglected in her hour of need. They now want to pretend to love her after death. As we speak, he does not even know where his wife is buried, yet he has come here demanding that her belongings be distributed,” he said.

The deceased’s sister, Judith Mapani, also levelled accusations against Mandipedza, claiming her sibling suffered throughout the marriage.
“My sister lived a difficult life with this man. She once told us that her father-in-law instructed her to cook a huge pot of sadza every night even though there were very few people around. By morning, the food would be gone,” she told the court.
Judith further alleged that her sister had spoken of mysterious occurrences at the Mandipedza homestead.
“She said she saw two goblins that would sleep with her and that she suffered seven miscarriages. She eventually left the marriage and only returned after her husband’s family promised they had dealt with the problem,” she said.
In response, Mandipedza’s brother, Brian Mandipedza, said attempts to resolve the dispute through family meetings had repeatedly collapsed amid hostility and accusations.
“Every time we tried to sit down and discuss these issues, it ended in violence. They accused us of killing their sister and alleged that goblins from our family had caused her death.
“We suggested consulting traditional healers so that the matter could be resolved, but they refused. They are now avoiding those allegations here, yet that is exactly why they took her body away from us,” he said.
Chief Mutasa chastised Mandipedza for failing to visit his wife’s burial site, saying such conduct was contrary to Shona custom.
“It is taboo for a husband not to know where his wife is buried. You should first take your children to visit their mother’s grave before discussing the sharing of her belongings.
“Do not try to shorten the process. Honour your late wife first,” the chief said.
He urged both families to seek an amicable resolution outside the court, warning that continued hostility would only deepen divisions and prolong the suffering of the deceased’s children.
“The children are the ones who stand to suffer the most if this conflict continues. Both families must put aside their differences and find common ground,” said Chief Mutasa.