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Tendai Gukutikwa
Weekender Reporter
A deceased Honde Valley man’s relatives are blocking his widow from acquiring his death certificate and processing his estate.
Sheila Muchapuya is at loggerheads with the late Misheck Mandirweyi’s relatives who allegedly grabbed the family property after the death of her husband.
In an unsolicited interview, Muchapuya alleged that after her husband succumbed to cancer in June, his siblings, Perkins Mandirweyi and Eliza Mandirweyi teamed up with Perkins’ wife, Anna Mwedziunashe, to grab her property in Honde Valley, thereby leaving her and her two children homeless.
“My children aged 21 and six do not have birth certificates because of this. My late husband’s relatives are frustrating all my efforts to acquire my late husband’s death certificate.
“I cannot process his estate because of this. They are also refusing to assist me to locate my late husband’s other children who have identity cards,” said the distraught woman.
She said the bad blood between the parties started during Misheck’s funeral when she told them that her husband had chosen his burial place before his death.
“He wanted to be buried at his homestead in Chisuko, but they refused and buried him at Perkins’ homestead. We ended up succumbing to their pressure against Misheck’s wish. A day after his burial they collected all our property and left us with nothing,” she said.
Muchapuya added: “They also told me that they doubt the paternity of my two children. They ordered us to leave their late relative’s homestead and I had no option but to leave, even though I was not feeling well. We were left homeless.”
The late Mandirwireyi’s relatives allegedly took US$150 and 6000 meticais from Muchapuya.
The matter has since appeared before the Master of the High Court in Mutare, where the three were ordered to surrender the deceased’s property to his widow.
Muchapuya said she was married to Misheck for 22 years before his death.
“I thought I could rely on his family for support, but they turned against me. They accused me of unfaithfulness, extravagance and not caring for Misheck during his hour of need. They took over our homestead and had already put it on the market before they were ordered to stop by the court,” she said.
Muchapuya said she feels betrayed, abandoned and hopeless.
In her deceased estate application filed before the Master of High Court in Mutare, Muchapuya wrote: “I am the surviving spouse and executor to the estate of the late Misheck Mundirweyi. I have written this letter to notify your good office that I was unable to get the information for the deceased’s other children, namely Rudo, Pauline, Judith and Sheillah Mundirweyi.
“I have enquired from the deceased’s brother, Pickens Mundirweyi, who also told me that he does not know their whereabouts or date of births. The deceased’s sister, Elizabeth, and other known relatives also refused to assist me in obtaining the said information. They are angry that I raised objections against their unlawful grabbing of the property which belonged to me and the deceased.”
However, in an interview, Perkins rubbished the allegations, saying he could not help his sister-in-law to acquire his brother’s death certificate as he is also bed-ridden.
“I have cancer and I am bed-ridden. I was shocked to be summoned to court in Mutare when I cannot even walk. That woman is a liar. I am the one who traversed across the country seeking medication for my then ill brother and now she is accusing me of all these bad things,” said Perkins.
He also said he took Muchapuya’s belongings in his possession for safekeeping as his late brother’s other children wanted to take them.
“I told her that she can come and collect her property anytime. We only took it for safekeeping because Misheck’s children from his other wife wanted to take it. She is good at blaming everyone, save for herself. We are actually supporting her,” he said.
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