A family dispute over the burial of a Nyanga woman has spilled into Chief Mutasa’s traditional court, with her widower alleging that his in-laws delayed the funeral until he paid compensation equivalent to eight cattle.
Dennis Mandipedza told the court that his wife’s body remained at a mortuary for five days after the Mapani family allegedly demanded US$2,000 before agreeing to collect it. He said the amount was presented as customary compensation, despite the fact that he had already paid lobola before the couple began living together.
Mandipedza said negotiations between the two families eventually resulted in a payment of US$1,000, which the parties treated as the equivalent of four cattle. The payment, he said, paved the way for the burial arrangements to proceed.
According to his account, the body was first taken to his homestead and kept there overnight. The following day, his in-laws allegedly removed it and transported it to their rural home for burial without his approval.
Mandipedza argued that, as the deceased’s husband, he expected her to be buried at his homestead. He told the court that he did not attend the funeral after he and his relatives were allegedly warned against following the Mapani family.
The matter returned to the traditional court after Mandipedza claimed that his in-laws were preventing the customary distribution of his late wife’s property. The dispute has since widened into competing accusations about the woman’s treatment during her illness and marriage.
Her father, Simba Mapani, denied that his family acted improperly and accused Mandipedza of failing to provide adequate care when his daughter became ill. Mapani said Mandipedza did not tell the family that she was seriously unwell, even though he had encountered him during that period.
Mapani said the woman was admitted to hospital on a Saturday and died four days later. He questioned why Mandipedza’s family had not sought transport or other assistance, saying he owned a vehicle that could have been used to take her to hospital. He also said the circumstances surrounding her illness raised concerns within the family.
The father defended the decision to bury his daughter at the Mapani homestead, saying the family believed there were indications that she had been neglected at her marital home.
The deceased’s sister, Judith Mapani, also alleged that her sibling had endured hardship during the marriage. She claimed that the woman had spoken about seeing goblin-like figures and had suffered seven miscarriages. These claims were presented as allegations in the family dispute and were not independently verified in court.
Mandipedza’s brother, Brian, said efforts to settle the matter through family meetings had repeatedly failed because of hostility and mutual accusations.
Chief Mutasa criticised Mandipedza for not visiting his wife’s grave, saying the omission was inconsistent with Shona custom. The traditional leader advised him to take the couple’s children to their mother’s burial place before pursuing discussions about the distribution of her belongings.
“It is taboo for a husband not to know where his wife is buried,” Chief Mutasa said, according to the account presented to the court.
The chief urged both families to pursue an amicable settlement outside the court, warning that prolonged conflict could deepen divisions and further affect the couple’s children.