Moffat Mungazi
Tendai Gukutikwa
Weekender Reporter
A MUTARE family was rebuked by Chief Mutasa for their greediness after refusing to distribute their late aunt’s clothes for two years.
The family is demanding payment from their in-laws before allowing the traditional sharing of the clothes, a custom known as ‘kugovewa kwenhumbi’ in the Shona culture.
This custom typically takes place soon after burial.
However, in this case, the late Clara Ferendende’s clothes have remained locked in her house in Sakubva’s MacGregor’s area.
Her relatives are insisting on receiving a beast and US$450 from the Liyambo family, where she was married.
Ferendende’s husband, Happy Liyambo, is also late, and the couple had no children.
The case was brought before the court by Norah Liyambo, the late Happy’s sister, who revealed that she had been covering the council bills for more than a year for the house where her brother and sister-in-law had stayed before their passing on.
“I am paying the rates because the Ferendende family refused to collect their late daughter’s belongings. In fact, when she passed away, they had taken her in and cared for her at their home since she was in her 80s and had no children. After burying her, they took her belongings from their home, returned them to the MacGregor’s house, and locked them inside.
“As a result, I am paying the rates for an abandoned house. I pray that you instruct them to collect the belongings so that council can repossess the house,” she pleaded.
Liyambo also told the court that when Ferendende passed on, her family chased them away from the funeral, accusing them of abandoning the elderly woman in her time of needy.
“That was not the case because ever since my brother’s death, I regularly visited my now late sister-in-law, providing her with food, and paying the council rates for their home. One day, I went to visit her, but she was gone. I checked at Zororai Old People’s Home, thinking she had been placed there, but she was not there.
“Eventually, the Ferendende family texted me, saying they had taken her. She died shortly afterwards, and when we attended the funeral, they chased us away. Later, they demanded a beast and US$450 as fine, accusing us of abandoning her,” she said.
Liyambo claimed that the Ferendende family said they would only distribute the clothes if their demands were met.
In response, Clara’s nephew, Xmas Ferendende, defended their decision, arguing that they felt their relative was neglected when she was ill.
“She was in her 80s and staying alone, which did not sit well with us. So, as the Ferendende family, we took her in. We believe we were short-changed because these people married our aunt, and neglected her after her husband’s death. We cared for her in her last days and met all the funeral expenses. That is why we demanded the payment —we charged them for neglecting our relative,” he explained.
However, Chief Mutasa’s court dismissed the Ferendende family’s justification, ruling that their demands were driven by greedy.
In his judgment, Chief Mutasa ordered them to collect their aunt’s belongings from the council house where the late couple had stayed, and set the Liyambo family free as they did not owe them anything.
“Let us not exploit other people’s misfortunes for financial gain. This is not a money-making venture. You cannot come here and tell us that you are demanding US$450 from an elderly woman, the same age as your deceased relative,” said Chief Mutasa.
He said the manner in which they were acting proved that they were being greedy because their son-in-law was also deceased and their aunt’s bride price was paid while she was still alive.
“It has been more than a year since your aunt passed on, and such actions will have repercussions on your family, not the Liyambo family. Not sharing her belongings will bring misfortune to your daughters. Remember, your son-in-law had no debt with you—he paid his bride price in full while he was still alive. Why then do you want his sister, who is also elderly, to pay you?” he ruled.
Online Reporter