Moffat Mungazi
Lovemore Kadzura
Weekender Reporter
A DRAMATIC family feud unfolded in Mutasa, as a woman abandoned her terminally ill son at her in-laws’ homestead and subsequently boycotted his funeral.
This shocking revelation came to light at Chief Mutasa’s community court last Saturday, where Peter Mafuro, the father of Susan, confronted his in-laws, the Mukuwaza family, seeking to return his late 14-year-old grandson’s clothes.
Mafuro explained to the court that his daughter, Susan, is still in possession of her late son’s clothes, and wants to hand them over to her former husband’s siblings, Dripper and Wonder.
“This matter was previously brought before this court in May 2024, and was adjourned, pending a police investigation into the circumstances surrounding the child’s burial, which took place without the mother’s involvement. The child was buried by his aunty, and we want the Makuwaza family to accept the clothes of their late son.
“It is customary for relatives to take responsibility for the belongings of the deceased. My son-in-law did not attend the funeral, as he was in South Africa at the time,” Mafuro told the court.
Wonder, representing the Mukuwaza family, countered that Susan had abandoned the critically ill child, leaving him with severe wounds.
“She dumped the child when he was critically ill. He had wounds all over his backside. Despite properly informing them, the Mafuros boycotted the funeral.
We still possess the clothes we purchased for the child during his stay with us, and await the return of his other belongings from our in-laws. When the child passed on, we procedurally informed our in-laws,” said Wonder.
Dripper’s composure crumbled in court as she recounted the heart-wrenching state of her young nephew when he was callously abandoned by his mother.
“They dumped the child at our family home, where he was in an appalling state of health,” she explained, her voice trembling.
“I took it upon myself to collect him and obtained a letter from the police so that he could be admitted at Hauna District Hospital. The child spent six long months in hospital, during which time his mother never visited him. His father, residing in South Africa, similarly failed to make an appearance.”
Dripper’s eyes welled up with tears as she continued: “They abandoned him because he was terminally ill. They were utterly heartless, saying, ‘Take your child, and if he dies, do not bother us.’ My brother and Susan separated in 2012. When the child passed away, we duly informed them, but to our astonishment, they demanded US$500 to attend the funeral.”
Susan, however, offered a vastly different account, claiming that her child suffered from a bizarre illness that caused him to bleat like a goat.
She also alleged that when her other child passed away earlier, her in-laws barred her from performing traditional ‘motherly’ functions at the funeral.
Furthermore, Susan claimed that she was not informed or invited to the tombstone unveiling ceremony.
“The child’s illness was accompanied by bizarre behaviour, including bleating like a goat. His condition was so unsettling that I took him to his father’s family. Previously, I had left the child with his father before he departed for South Africa. When the child passed away, I visited the mortuary, only to discover that he had been buried without my knowledge or consent.
“Furthermore, they conducted a tombstone unveiling ceremony for my elder child without informing me. At the funeral, I was barred from performing my maternal duties,” Susan explained.
Chief Mutasa admonished both families for their petty squabbles over the issue. Susan, in particular, faced censure for abandoning her ailing son and disappearing before his burial.
The court ordered the feuding families to reconcile and determine a suitable course of action regarding the child’s clothing.
“Your bickering risks invoking the wrath of the child’s avenging spirit,” cautioned Chief Mutasa.
Addressing Susan, Chief Mutasa said: “You are being dishonest, claiming the child was buried without your knowledge. You visited the mortuary, but vanished before the funeral. Why did you disappear? You abandoned the child when he was ill, and now you claim he was buried without your knowledge.
“In reality, Dripper should return the child’s clothes to you, as you are the mother. I instruct you to engage in dialogue and jointly decide how to dispose of the clothes, whether through charitable donation or burial in his grave,” ruled Chief Mutasa.
Online Reporter