Rise in inheritance disputes a cause for concern

Vusumuzi Dube, Sunday News Reporter

Senators have stressed the urgent need to reform Zimbabwe’s inheritance laws, describing them as opaque and lacking transparency, with particular concerns raised over the rise in disputes and the role of the Master of Office in addressing those.

“There has been a 36 percent increase in reported inheritance disputes in the country, with some of them resulting, property damage, injuries and loss of life,” said Senator Kucaca Phulu.

This comes after there has been a series of disputes arising from inheritances happening around the country over last few years.

In 2023, Martin Shata filed a report with Police General Headquarters against his young brother Dennis Shata for refusing to accommodate one of their nephew Tinotenda Shata (26).

In January last year, two brothers in Mberengwa attempted to kill their 23 year old brother , Innocent Taru, by setting his hut alight at 3am.

The two siblings, Admire Taru (27) and Givemore Dube (37) connived with each other to eliminate their brother so that the inheritance would be shared between the two of them.

In November 2023, the Mandizha family in Chikomba was fighting over inheritance leftover by the late Tafireyi Mandizha who died aged 41.

Despite leaving a will, the late Mandizha’s elder sister, Usebia, is claiming a car and some properties left by his late brother. The sister was not included in the will.

In 2022, in Bulawayo a big family farmhouse was razed by fire after Elphas Dube attempted to kill his brother, Thulani Dube, after discovery of gold deposits in a farm left by their father in 2003.

The younger brother is believed to have fled to neighbouring Botswana or South Africa with his family, leaving Elphas with the gold-rich farm.

In 2019, the Shirto sisters of Gumtree were embroiled in a fierce battle with their brother, Garfield, over the inheritance left by their father who died in 2015.

There are several other incidences not included in this article, while some have not been reported to the authorities at all.

Sen Phulu said the lack of transparency in the inheritance law meant that families have no clear guidelines as what to do when it comes to disputes over inheritance, and the authorities alike also have limited involvement, of which families usually end up taking the law into their own hands and resorting to violence to settle their disputes.