Online Reporter
Tendai Gukutikwa
Weekender Reporter
A LONG-RUNNING family dispute over roofing sheets removed from a deceased couple’s homestead spilled into Chief Mutasa’s community court last Saturday, with a Mutasa woman accusing her late father’s sister of subjecting her elderly mother to years of harassment and verbal abuse.
Beauty Maunze brought her aunt, Charity Maunze, before the traditional court, alleging that she had persistently tormented her mother, Agnes Madzatsarara, since the death of Beauty’s father in 2018 over roofing sheets taken from the family’s ancestral homestead.
Beauty said the dispute dates back to 2016 when her late father renovated his property.
“My father demolished his late parents’ dilapidated house and used the roofing sheets from that structure to roof his own house. During his funeral in 2018, we started hearing rumours that our aunt wanted the roofing sheets back. We were surprised because she had never raised the issue while her brother was still alive,” she said.
Beauty said the matter remained dormant until 2022 when Charity allegedly approached the family demanding the return of the roofing sheets.
“She came and asked us to return the roofing sheets, but I refused because we could not understand why she had waited until after my father’s death to raise the issue.
“In July, she returned and gave us a one-week ultimatum to remove the sheets. My mother eventually complied and had them removed,” she said.
However, Beauty said the dispute did not end after the family surrendered the roofing material.
“We expected the matter to be resolved once the sheets were removed, but when my mother invited her to come and collect them, she refused. Instead, she insisted that we should transport the sheets back and rebuild the house that our father had demolished.”
She questioned Charity’s motives, arguing that the dispute appeared to go beyond the roofing sheets themselves.
“If she genuinely wanted the sheets, why is she refusing to collect them now that they have been removed? We feel there is another issue behind all this because my mother continues to be insulted and harassed over a matter we have already complied with,” said Beauty.
Agnes Madzatsarara told the court that the wrangle had become a source of continuous emotional distress since the death of her husband.
“I asked her why she did not raise the matter while her brother was still alive. She told me that she wanted to deal with me, not her brother,” alleged Madzatsarara.
She said despite surrendering the roofing sheets, the alleged abuse had continued.
“Since 2018, I have endured verbal abuse from her. I no longer believe this issue is about the roofing sheets. I think there is something else she wants from me,” she said.
Madzatsarara also made a startling allegation involving her late son, Farai.
“My son once challenged her over the way she was treating me and she allegedly threatened his life. Two weeks later, he died,” she claimed.
In her defence, Charity denied victimising her late brother’s widow and insisted that she was acting in the interests of the wider family.
“The roofing sheets belonged to our late parents. I am not the only one interested in them. As a family, we want to use them to rebuild structures at our parents’ homestead,” she said.
Charity argued that her late brother had acted unilaterally when he demolished the family house and removed the roofing sheets.
“When my brother removed the roofing sheets and demolished the houses, he did not consult me as his sibling. Those were our parents’ houses and I believe family members should have been informed,” she said.
She said the family intended to erect tombstones on their parents’ graves and required accommodation at the homestead during the process.
“We need proper structures where family members can stay while carrying out work at the homestead. We also want to preserve our parents’ property,” she said.
However, Charity’s sister, Esther Maunze, contradicted her position and sided with Beauty and Madzatsarara.
“We told our sister that she could not simply demand the removal of roofing sheets from our late brother’s house,” said Esther.
She said family members had objected when Charity first demanded that the roofing sheets be removed.
After hearing submissions from both sides, Chief Mutasa directed Charity to collect the roofing sheets she had demanded and utilise them for whatever purpose the family deemed appropriate.
