Arron Nyamayaro
A UK-BASED woman exhumed and reburied the remains of her mother on Friday, FOUR years after her death, but a dispute with relatives over the exhumation and reburial is dividing the family.
Josephine Rudo Mutabeni said she was simply fulfilling the wishes of her mother, Dorothy Celani Mutabeni, to be buried at Warren Hills Cemetery.
Dorothy died in September 2022 and was buried at Restland Cemetery in Reinham.
Josephine told H-Metro she believed her mother did not receive a proper burial.
“My mother was not accorded a proper burial. She deserves one and that is why I saw it better to rebury her remains,” she said.
“I cannot say more than that since I am not sure of the person who informed the media on a matter I believe is private.”
The exhumation was witnessed by Josephine, her daughter, a representative of Chief Zvimba, a pathologist from Parirenyatwa Hospital, a City of Harare environmental health officer and police officers from ZRP Mabelreign.
Dorothy left behind four daughters.
Two, including Josephine, live in the UK while the other two live in Zimbabwe.
After the exhumation, her remains were taken to Parirenyatwa Hospital and later reburied at Warren Hills Cemetery, on the same day.
Police were on guard, during the exhumation process, as the dispute among the family members raged on.
The dispute pits Josephine and six members of the Mutabeni family.
Josephine’s sister, Olive Mutabeni, who had lived with their mother before her death, was reported to have sought a court interdict to stop the exhumation.
It was unclear whether the application was successful and, if so, if it was served before the exhumation process began.
Another family member questioned why Josephine had raised her mother’s wish after four years.
“This is so disturbing and questionable for one family member to travel from UK to open the grave claiming to fulfil the late woman’s wish, which was never mentioned in the past four years,” the family member said.
“We conducted a memorial service and laid a tombstone but she never came forward with her claims.
“Is this traditional or what is she trying to portray?”
