Estate wrangle turns nasty

Liberty Dube Post Correspondent
AN estate wrangle pitting a widow and her late husband’s eldest son has turned nasty, with the latter resorting to unorthodox and bizarre means to be the heir.

Hardly seven months after the death of a Chipinge centurion — Elliot Sofa Mhlanga — who died aged 103, peace has eluded his family, with his eldest son,Danisa Mhlanga (65) at loggerheads with his step-mother Lucia Mhlanga over the ownership of a farm in Mt Selinda.

The estate wrangle escalated last weekend when Danisa did the unthinkable and collected bucketfuls of soil from Elliot’s grave and used it to plaster the whole house at Farm 30, Chinyauduma in Mount Selinda to protest over Lucia’s presence at the farm.

While Mrs Mhlanga argued that the farmhouse belongs to her and the child she sired with Elliot — according to the will written and left by Elliot — Danisa contends that the house and the farm belongs to him as the eldest son.

When The Manica Post visited the farm on Tuesday afternoon, the whole seven-roomed house was plastered with soil, while flowers picked from Elliot’s grave were scattered inside the house.

Strangely, there were clean chairs at the graveyard, suggesting that the site was frequently visited.

Danisa confirmed ‘plastering’ the house with the soil from his father’s grave, saying he committed the abomination after he was instructed to do so by his late mother who happens to be Elliot’s first wife.

Danisa claimed that his late father was allegedly coerced by Lucia and her step-daughter Diniwe residing in the UK to allocate the farm to Lucia’s South Africa-based daughter.

He further alleged that Elliot on his deathbed wrote a separate will in a notebook confessing that Lucia and Diniwe had allegedly forced him to write, sign and agree to the contents of the first will.

He is disputing the contents of his late father’s will, saying they were doctored in favour of Lucia and her daughters.

Danisa said before his mother died, she told him to conduct the rituals if ever anyone tries to grab the estate from him unlawfully.

He also allegedly spent a night at Elliot’s grave trying to ‘guard it from intruders’.

“We grew up well without any problems. My father had three wives. He was a police officer before he retired. He acquired this farm with the help of Mt Selinda Mission.

“Before he died he was really concerned about where he could house our other mother (Lucia) since he had not built any house for her. I was in Harare when he passed away, but his death left us with more questions than answers. Yes, he was unwell, but circumstances surrounding his death were unclear.

“It later emerged at his burial, according to Diniwe and Lucia, that our father had written a will which stated that this farm and the farmhouse should be given to Lucia’s daughter who is in South Africa.

“Diniwe also claimed that she was in possession of a video, in which he (Elliot) was recorded confirming the will. I asked to watch it, but to my surprise they refused to give it to me.

“I saw the written will and the signature is my father’s, but the contents were doctored because he also wrote in a small notebook saying he was forced to give the farm to Lucia’s daughter. Of course, she is the only legitimate wife left, but she wants to reap where she did not sow.

“Before my mother died, she told me to do exactly as I did (perform the rituals). She told me that “kana maona kuti pane arikuda kukutorerai zvinhu zvenyu, itai izvi . . . I was actually shocked to see the contents of the will because I thought Lucia would simply understand and vacate the farm because it was not hers,” said the calm Danisa.

He, however, refused to divulge other rituals he was instructed by his late mother to perform.

“I cannot tell you more about what else she told me to do; it is traditional. I did not sleep at the graveyard as alleged, but I just spent a few hours there at night guarding it from intruders. I will fight to the bitter end.

“Thank you for coming to hear my side of the story. I have been leading an isolated life because I did not have anyone to talk to about this contentious issue. They refused with the title deeds of this farmhouse. I have my own farm in Rusape and another house in Dangamvura which our father left,” said Danisa.

He added that he had never dabbled in black magic or voodoo, but was doing everything in good faith and with Elliot’s blessings.

He, however, could not release the notebook which he claimed he had in his possession.

Efforts to get a comment from Reverend Makombe, who is the appointed executor of the estate, proved fruitless as his mobile number was unreachable.

Rev Makombe led the now defunct End Times Messages Church situated a few metres away from the contentious farm.

In a separate interview, the visibly dejected Lucia described Danisa as a violent person who was thrashing the contents of her late husband’s will and sticking to a dubious notebook that seemingly does not exist.

“We don’t know his intentions; we are living in fear. I no longer sleep at the house although I stay here. He picked some soil from Elliot’s grave and smeared the house both inside and outside for reasons best known to himself.

“I cannot sleep inside the house because it’s messed up. I am sleeping at my neighbour’s.

“I am sticking to the contents of the will which state that my daughter who resides in South Africa should inherit the estate. I was surprised when he picked soil and flowers from the grave, which is a taboo in our tradition.

“We were even shocked when he spent the whole night at the grave. Musha unoti inini. He is a violent person and we are not on talking terms with him. Why should I talk to him when he wants me out of this place?” she said.

It emerged that Lucia recently sought legal recourse at the High Court and was being represented by Mr Patony Musendo of Kamusasa and Musendo Legal Practitioners in Harare.

Ms Lynette Farirai from the Deceased Estates Information Centre (DEIC), a Harare-based organisation that deals with Estates Planning and Management, said the issues of property grabbing usually emanate from failing to understand the laws that govern inheritance.

“Even in estates that are administered by wills, there may be a lot of squabbles like in this case where Danisa is disputing a will that the Master of High Court has accepted in which he is also a beneficiary.”