Sisters desecrate parents’ graves

Tendai Gukutikwa
Weekender Reporter
A LONG-RUNNING family dispute over inheritance and land ownership has taken a dramatic turn in Mutasa after two sisters were accused of conducting traditional rituals before allegedly tampering with their parents’ graves under the cover of darkness.
The matter came to light at Chief Mutasa’s community court after Trymore Matanha, accused his sisters, Juliet and Rutendo Matanha, of carrying out rituals with a traditional healer before allegedly desecrating the graves of their late parents.
Trymore said the incident happened on September 8 at the family homestead, where a dispute over inheritance land has allegedly strained relations between the siblings for years.
“We already have a strained relationship because I had been trying to evict them from the property. On the day in question, I saw them heading to the family garden with a man. They started conducting rituals and later appeared to go into trances,” he said.
Concerned by what he had witnessed, Matanha said he alerted the village head before discreetly following the group.
He alleged that the trio later proceeded to the family’s cemetery during the night.
“They headed towards our family cemetery. My youngest sister entered the cemetery, and when they noticed me approaching, they left while singing ‘Mudododo’. I immediately informed the village head, who advised me to inspect the graves the following morning to determine whether anything unusual had occurred,” he said.
Matanha said his fears were confirmed the next day.
“When we returned in the morning, we discovered that our parents’ graves had been disturbed. There were holes dug on both graves, and I strongly suspect that my sisters were responsible,” he alleged.
His wife, Mandy Mutyebere, supported his claims, saying she witnessed part of the alleged ritual ceremony.
“When they arrived with the traditional healer, candles were lit and certain ritual paraphernalia was being used. I saw a knife and a red cloth, which was later torn during the proceedings.
“I immediately phoned my husband to alert him. Our children also recorded videos of what was taking place,” she said.
Mutyebere further claimed that visits to the cemetery by the sisters had been occurring for several years.
“They have frequented the cemetery ever since I got married into this family. At first I thought it was part of the local customs, but over time I noticed soil appearing to have been removed from some graves and there were also visible palm prints in the area,” she alleged.
However, the sisters denied entering the cemetery or tampering with the graves.
Juliet Matanha admitted that she and her sister had visited the disputed land with a man who conducted traditional rituals, but maintained that the activities had nothing to do with the cemetery.
“We never entered the cemetery. We simply used a footpath that passes near the graves. Yes, we sang ‘Mudododo’, but that was because our brother and his wife were insulting us,” she said.
Juliet dismissed allegations that she was involved in disturbing the graves.
“I do not know who desecrated the graves. I cannot accept responsibility for something I did not do,” she said.
Rutendo Matanha also denied the allegations, arguing that they stemmed from an ongoing inheritance dispute.
“We only passed near the graves. These accusations are being made because we previously won a court case over inheritance land against our brother,” she said.
According to Rutendo, tensions escalated after she and her sister successfully secured rights to a piece of land that had been used by their brother.
“He and his wife were unhappy with the outcome because they had been using the land and did not want to relinquish it,” she said.
Rutendo, however, acknowledged that rituals had been performed on the property.
“Yes, we conducted rituals on land that legally belongs to us. The purpose was to cleanse the land before putting it to use. The ceremony had absolutely nothing to do with our parents’ graves,” she told the court.
Chief Mutasa adjourned the matter for further hearing as investigations into the allegations continue.