Vusumuzi Dube
Sunday News Reporter
A family in Nkulumane is living in constant fear as an uncle, a soldier by profession, relentlessly harasses and attacks them over a disputed inherited house.
The couple, Ethel Siluma and Kudakwashe Kurira, are now pleading for help as they endure threats and violence from the uncle and his associates.
The trouble began when Kudakwashe Kurira inherited a family house from his late grandmother, after years of taking care of her. However, the uncle, who had expected to inherit the property, was not pleased with this turn of events and demanded that the house be sold instead.
According to a close family member, who wishes to remain anonymous, tensions escalated when the uncle attempted to burn down the house in a fit of rage. “We couldn’t believe it. He went to such extreme measures just to get his hands on the will,” the relative revealed.
Matters reached a boiling point when the uncle, accompanied by three individuals claiming to be police officers, launched a violent attack on Kudakwashe at the family house. In a horrifying incident witnessed by Ethel and their three children, Kudakwashe was stabbed during the assault, resulting in his admission to Mpilo Hospital.
“He almost lost his life. We were terrified for him and our entire family,” said the relative.
During Kudakwashe’s three-week hospitalization, the uncle turned his attention to Ethel, demanding that she hand over the will and even proposing that she become his second wife if Kudakwashe were to be eliminated. Ethel, however, bravely refused these outrageous demands.
Upon Kudakwashe’s discharge from the hospital, the uncle once again launched a violent attack, causing Kudakwashe’s surgical wound to reopen and leaving him bleeding profusely. The family, now living in constant fear for their safety, feels helpless as their repeated reports to the police have been met with apathy, allegedly due to the uncle’s connections.
“We are in a state of despair. Our lives have been turned upside down, and we fear for our safety every day,, as a family we do not even know what to do because tge police have failed to intervene,” the relative tearfully expressed.
The family is now appealing to the authorities and the public for urgent assistance in resolving this terrifying situation. They hope that justice will be served, and they can regain their peace of mind, free from the constant threat of violence.
Efforts to reach the uncle for comment have been unsuccessful at the time of publishing this article.
Bongani Ndlovu