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Lovemore Kadzura
Rusape Correspondent
A Makoni woman is at loggerheads with her in-laws who administered incision marks (nyora) on her body over two decades ago.
The woman recently told Chief Makoni’s community court that the incision marks were administered on her in 1998 by her mother-in-law while in her birthday suit.
She also claims that her father-in-law did the same to his male children.
The matter was brought to court by Cornelious Mapfuwa who wanted his sister, Gracian Mapfuwa’s father-in-law, John Kunyongana, to explain his family’s actions.
“I want my in-laws to explain to me why they administered incision marks on my sister without the knowledge and approval of her parents and relatives.
“We also want to know the purpose of the incision marks. When Gracian’s husband passed away a few weeks ago, we raised the issue before his burial, and Kunyongana said they applied incision marks on Gracian’s body as a way of protecting the family,” Mapfuwa told the court.
However, Kunyongana could neither deny or confirm administering incision marks on Gracian, but told the court that she does not respect him.
“I have a problem with my daughter-in-law. She tried to block my son’s body, her late husband, from being brought to his homestead. I have longstanding issues with her from the time she joined this family. She goes around saying a lot of nasty things about me,” said Kunyongana.
Gracian said she got the incision marks in 1998.
“I was married in 1994 when l was 16. My husband and l stayed with my in-laws for six months before moving out to set up our own homestead.
“In 1998, all family members were summoned by my in-laws to their homestead.
“They said every member of the family had to get incision marks. There were three daughters-in-law and I am the only daughter-in-law who got the marks as the others refused.
“My mother-in-law administered the incision marks on me and her daughters, while Kunyongana did the same on his sons.
“We got the incision marks while standing on the door and naked. I informed my father who is now late and he confronted my husband over the issue. My husband pleaded with my late father not to pursue the issue, arguing that it would cause trouble with his parents.
“My husband later felt ill, and surprisingly his parents never visited him. My husband passed away in November 2023. At his funeral I raised the issue of the incision marks but his family brushed it aside saying I am a thick-headed person.
“I used to be a cool and composed person, but these incision marks changed me,” she said. In its ruling, the court exonerated Kunyongana of any wrong doing, saying Gracian was a willing party in the process.
The court also pointed out that she took too long to report the matter.
“Gracian did not resist to have the incision marks administered on her. She complied while the other daughters-in-law refused. She says she informed her now late father, but he did not act.
“Her now late husband also did not do anything about it. Now that Gracian’s father and husband are late, she is teaming up with her brother to revisit an issue that happened in 1998.
“This is happening barely weeks after her husband’s death.
“It is the court’s finding that there is no case against Kunyongana. He carried out a process to protect his family, which Gracian is part of, and she consented to it.
“It appears like Gracian and her brother wants to extort their grieving in-laws. The case is dismissed,” ruled the court.
Online Reporter