Online Reporter
Lovemore Kadzura
Weekender Reporter
A MAKONI family has been ordered to reimburse their son-in-law all the money he had paid as bride price after failing to release their daughter despite receiving the bride price nearly two decades ago.
The woman, for whom the bride price was paid in 2006, was later married off to another suitor.
This emerged at Chief Makoni’s community court, where United Kingdom-based Don Kwiyo hauled Silas Bvekerwa before the traditional bench, demanding a refund of £7 000 (about US$10 000) he had paid as bride price for Tariro Bvekerwa.
Silas, Tariro’s brother, was accused of blocking cultural procedures that should have seen Tariro join Kwiyo’s family in Gokwe.
Kwiyo told the court that after paying the bride price, Tariro’s relatives refused to accompany her to his rural home, insisting instead that she should join him in the UK — a move complicated by her lack of travel documents.
Four months later, he discovered that Tariro had already been married to another man, and repeated efforts to recover his money proved futile.
“I met Tariro in Gokwe when she had just completed Form Four. She told me that she was still a virgin. At that time, I was about to complete my university education in the United Kingdom.
“I really loved her and wanted to start a family together. I went for introductions to Tariro’s family who approved our relationship and said I can proceed to pay the bride price.
“I went back to the UK to raise the money to marry Tariro. I managed to raise £7 000, and my delegation from Gokwe went to Bvekerwa Village to marry Tariro.
“We paid everything that they asked for. Their village head was present, and he commended that he had never seen such a marriage in his village. I also sent Tariro some money and clothes.
“I was also planning a white wedding to complement the traditional marriage. I thought I was doing the proper thing as a well-mannered son-in-law. Little did I know my gesture was meaningless and of no significance to the Bvekerwa family.
“My parents later requested that Tariro come and stay with them as their daughter-in-law. To my surprise, Tariro’s sister, Mai Chitera, informed me that Tariro’s parents were refusing.
“She said they want Tariro to join me in the UK, not my parents in Gokwe. Our go-between advised my in-laws that they were wrong to block Tariro from joining my parents,” said Kwiyo.
Kwiyo said he got the shock of his life when he was advised that Tariro’s relatives had accepted bride price from another suitor.
He said he felt cheated by his in-laws’ actions.
“After four months, I returned to Zimbabwe, and approached Silas Bvekerwa who told me that my wife was not around.
“I was shocked when he boldly declared that Tariro was now married to someone else. I was confused and pained at the same time. I thought I was dreaming.
“I managed to restrain myself despite the anger. He went on to say ‘tokuitira plan, tokudzorera mari yako’.
“I told him that this was theft and they had destroyed me. I demanded my money back, and he said they will reimburse me. When I was back in the UK, I called him, and he said they were raising the money.
“I made five visits to their homestead demanding my money back. I was so pained because I never touched nor slept with Tariro. We only shook hands once at our go-between’s house. That was that! Mhuri iyi yakadhla mari yangu.
“To me these people are thieves. Up to now I am afraid to pay bride price for any woman. This case affected me and my parents so deeply.
“I lost a fortune in paying roora and making follow-ups for my money. They made money out of me; they milked me. At that time if I had bought a stand and erected a structure by now it will be worth around US$200 000,” said Kwiyo.
Despite attempting to be technical, Bvekerwa did not deny that Kwiyo married her sister, and that they did not hand her over to him.
“We know him as our son in-law. But in my personal capacity, I don’t have a daughter who is married. In 2005 I never saw him. This man does not even know the name of the person he married.
“There is no person by the name Tariro Bvekerwa in our family. Her name is Tariro Magowa. I am not the father of the woman in question, she was just my blood sister.
“Yes, I know I am appearing before this court representing my father. Our father’s brother is the one who was involved when Kwiyo married Tariro.
“I want to know why he has summoned me? He is lying that he married in 2005 when it was on January 29, 2006. He sent emissaries to pay roora.
“I was invited to be among the witnesses, not part of negotiators since I was young. He should tell this court why of all the people who were involved, he has opted to sue me only.
“He did not make five follow-ups; he just came twice demanding his money back. He married and left his wife at home till she married someone else in 2011. Unfortunately, she passed on in 2021,” Bvekerwa told the court.
An uncle who was not asked his name told the court that Kwiyo paid the bride price in local currency after changing the pounds on the parallel market.
“When Kwiyo married Tariro he went back to UK. He did not pay the roora in full, and he paid in Zimbabwe dollars after ‘burning’ the pounds on the black market,” said the uncle, producing the roora list in court.
The list showed that Kwiyo had paid ZW$69 500 000.
Tariro’s sister also claimed that Kwiyo went on to marry another woman, dumping her sister in the process, forcing her to settle with another man in 2011.
After a lengthy deliberation, Chief Makoni ruled that Kwiyo married Tariro and her family did not hand her over to him as per the culture dictates.
The court further ruled that the money was equivalent to nine beasts and gave the Bvekerwas three months to pay back.
“The case is clear and straight forward. Kwiyo married Tariro whose parents did not hand her over to him. They later accepted bride price from another man.
“The roora list was also produced in this court by Tariro’s family. The money paid by Kwiyo is now equivalent to US$3 150 or nine beasts.
“Kwiyo cannot claim interest on roora because it was not a business transaction. He is the one who caused the delay because of late reporting,” ruled Chief Makoni.
The Bvekerwa family welcomed the ruling and apologised to Kwiyo for their actions.
One family elder said they were grateful that the matter was resolved while Kwiyo was still alive as they risked the wrath of his avenging spirit if he had died with the matter not settled.
