Online Reporter
Lovemore Kadzura
Weekender Reporter
A MAKONI family has been plunged into bitter wrangles over the distribution of eight cattle paid as compensation for the avenging spirit (ngozi) of a murdered aunt, with the dispute ending up before Chief Makoni’s community court.
At the centre of the family feud are brothers, Enford and Kenneth Chinembiri, who are battling over who had the authority to oversee the sharing of the beasts.
Enford accused his younger brother of unlawfully presiding over the distribution of the cattle while he was away, arguing that as the eldest son and custodian of the family’s traditional heirlooms, tsvimbo dzemusha (ancestral knobkerries), he alone had the authority to sanction such a process.
“Kenneth and I are blood brothers. Our father died in 1997, and I inherited two family knobkerries, one belonging to my father and the other to our late grandfather who died in 1988,” said Enford.
He explained that the cattle in dispute were paid by the Bangure family as compensation after their son-in-law allegedly murdered his aunt, Sinoria Chinembiri.
“During proceedings before this court in 2022 over Tete Sinoria’s ngozi, the Bangure family was ordered to compensate us. To my surprise, Kenneth moved ahead and distributed the cattle in my absence despite knowing that I am the custodian of our grandfather’s knobkerrie, which culturally makes me responsible for matters concerning the family,” he said.
However, Kenneth dismissed the allegations, instead accusing his elder brother of using his traditional status to intimidate relatives and frustrate family decisions.
“We lived peacefully as a family for years, but things changed after Enford retired and returned to the village. Since then, there has been no peace.
“Whenever anyone disagrees with him, he reminds them that he is the eldest son and the holder of the family knobkerries. He believes that gives him authority over everyone else,” he said.
Kenneth said it was, in fact, Enford who had initially called family members together to discuss distribution of the cattle.
According to Kenneth, the meeting failed when Enford sought to link the issue to unrelated family grievances, including demands for land and proposals for the allocation of responsibility over certain aunts within the extended family.
“He wanted a piece of land, wanted us three brothers to formally share responsibility for our aunts, and also wanted the ngozi cattle distributed. When family members rejected some of his demands, he refused to proceed and attempted to block the distribution exercise,” Kenneth said.
He claimed family members later resolved to proceed with the process.
“At the next meeting, he became angry, shouted at relatives and even disrespected Sekuru Chinembiri, who is 94 years old, as well as an elderly aunt from Mutoko who is over 80,” he said.
Kenneth further alleged that the confrontation turned physical when their mother attempted to calm Enford down.
“Our mother tried to restrain him, but he pushed her to the ground. She broke down crying. Family elders wanted to abandon the meeting because of his behaviour, but I persuaded them to stay so the matter could be concluded,” he told the court.
The eight cattle were subsequently distributed among eligible family members, with Enford also receiving a share despite his absence, Kenneth said.
Veteran family elder, Sekuru Chinembiri, backed Kenneth’s version of events, accusing Enford of disregarding elders and making unilateral decisions.
“Enford no longer respects his father’s brothers. He bypasses us and makes decisions on his own,” he said.
“The murdered aunt died when Enford was only six years old. I am the one who handled the ngozi process and the spiritual consultations relating to her demands. Yet when compensation cattle arrived, he stopped working with us.”
Sekuru Chinembiri further claimed that Enford had previously taken one beast and given it to another family without consulting relatives, while slaughtering another without informing other beneficiaries.
Enford denied acting unilaterally.
He argued that one beast was slaughtered following a family resolution after the death of his wife, while another was given to the Chikumbirike family, his late aunt’s maternal relatives, with the blessing of family members.
“I wanted the cattle to be distributed only after consulting the spirit of our late aunt so that she could guide us on how she wanted the beasts shared.
“I also wanted long-standing family issues, including land allocation, to be dealt with at the same time,” said Enford.
The family’s elderly matriarch delivered the most emotional testimony of the hearing, accusing her eldest son of becoming arrogant because of his possession of the traditional paraphernalia.
“Enford has become wayward because he holds the family’s traditional symbols of authority.
“He does not buy vaccines for the cattle, does not help care for them and has not even visited the kraal despite living in the village for two years,” she said.
She said she was heartbroken when her son allegedly pushed her during the dispute.
“That day I cried just as I cried when my husband died. Culturally, my eldest son is supposed to protect me, but instead he pushed me to the ground. He should remove his cattle from my kraal. Kenneth and his brothers help me care for the animals, while he does nothing. Tsvimbo ne hubaba hazvirime! (Knobkerries and seniority do not till the land),” she said.
After hearing submissions from both sides, Chief Makoni dismissed Enford’s complaint, ruling that Kenneth had not personally distributed the cattle and that the exercise had been carried out collectively by family members.
The chief, however, found Enford at fault for assaulting his mother.
“It is clear that the cattle were distributed by the family, not by Kenneth,” ruled Chief Makoni.
“As the eldest son, Enford must lead by example, humble himself and work with other family members. Leadership is about uniting people, not dividing them.”
The chief ordered Enford to give his mother a goat as an apology for the assault and urged him to use his position within the family to promote unity rather than conflict.
