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IT seems an estate wrangle pitting a Chipinge widow, Mrs Lucia Mhlanga and her late husband’s eldest son, Danisa is far from over after the latter allegedly dragged the former to the traditional courts in a bid to evict her from the contentious farm.
Lucia, in an interview on Wednesday, said she was last week shocked to see Chief Matungwana’s aides summoning her to the courts for illegally staying at Farm 30, Chinyauduma, Mt Selinda. A fortnight ago, Danisa (65) used unorthodox and bizarre means to be the heir after he collected bucketfuls of soil from Elliot’s grave and used it to “plaster” the whole house protesting over Lucia’s presence at the farm.
Since the death of centurion, Elliot Sofa Mhlanga, who died at 103 years, peace has eluded his family after Danisa tried in vain to elbow out Lucia from the farm. In one of the latest developments, Lucia last weekend temporarily moved out of the house and went to her place of birth in Tamandayi as the wrangle becomes hotter by each day.
She said Danisa was still staying at the house.
“My son, I am living in fear,” said the distraught Lucia, after you wrote that story, Danisa went to Chief Matungwana in a bid to evict me from the farm. The chief’s aides ordered me to attend the court, but I did not go. We are not on talking terms and I am hopeless. I have since moved out of the house for my safety, but I left my two children there. I am now back home in Tamandayi. He is a thorn in the flesh,” she said.
She added that Danisa also wanted to evict her children from the farm.
“He also wants my children out and I am very worried about that,” she added.
Danisa who confirmed ‘plastering’ the house with the soil from his father’s grave, saying he committed the abomination after he was instructed to do so by his late mother who happens to be Elliot’s first wife, could not be reached for comment as his mobile phone was not reachable. However, in an interview held earlier on, Danisa alleged that Elliot on his deathbed wrote a separate will in a notebook confessing that Lucia and Diniwe had allegedly forced him to write, sign and agree to the contents of the disputed will.
He said before his mother died, she told him to conduct the rituals if ever anyone tries to grab the estate from him unlawfully. He is disputing the contents of his late father’s will saying they were doctored in favour of Lucia and her counterparts.
“Before my mother died he told me to do exactly what I did (rituals). She told me that kana maona kuti pane arikuda kukutorerai zvinhu zvenyu. Itai izvi… I was actually shocked to see the contents of the will because I thought Lucia would simply understand and vacate from the farm because it was not hers,” said the calm Danisa.
The executor of the estate, Reverend David Makombe of End Times Message Church, said he had recused himself from being an executor because of Danisa’s insubordination.
“Elliot before he died asked me to help him draft the will and it was done in a fair and transparent way. Everyone was allocated something including Danisa. It is surprising to see that he is disputing the will and is in a bid to take over the farm which is not legally his.
“Elliot told me that the farm should benefit the whole clan. But Danisa is being greedy and trying to take advantage that he is the first born. Because of this, I recused myself from being the executor general and handed over this task to lawyers,” said Rev Makombe.
Online Reporter