Woman Buried Without Nose and Upper Lip
16 December 2014
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Gokwe Kudiwa community have been left whispering to each other, after a mother of three who passed on was buried without a nose and an upper lip, following scuffles and disagreements between her husband and in-laws.
According to women who were in the room where the corpse was lying, an animal that looked like a dog entered the thatched hut, and quickly devoured off the nose and upper lip from the dead body before it dashed out, as all women retreated to a corner after failing to identify the atrocious looking mammal.
The shocking incident took place in Kudiwa village of Gokwe South near Hovano, when a woman who came to work in the agro- town 25 years ago, ended up cohabiting with a man of her love and did not bother informing her parents of her whereabouts.
The woman identified as Ruramai Zhou, had been staying with Witmore Mudare of Kudiwa as husband and wife, and their relationship was blessed with three children, one girl and two boys, who are all in secondary school.
According to a close relative of the Mudare family who fought a protracted battle to settle the exasperating scuffle that left the family depleted, their brother was not officially recognised by his in-laws who are all based in Mberengwa. “Witmore has been cohabiting with his lover for more than 20 years and have three children. The woman got ill and died leaving us with no option but to look for her relatives, who rebutted their daughter’s death.”
She further narrated to ZimEye how their horror started, after their visit through friends accompanied by a Police Officer to the woman’s family. “The journey was the one I will never forget and all our family members are still in panic following the refusal by her parents to bury her before a 10 head of cattle was paid,” she said.
According to information made available to ZimEye, after the woman’s sudden death, the family tried in vain to persuade their in-laws who were a hard nut to crack. The family sought the help of the Police who accompanied them to Mberengwa, but the relatives refused forcing them to return to Gokwe to reinforce their pockets and more security for escort.
The Mudare family went back to Mberengwa, this time in the company of two Police Officers, who pleaded with the family to come and have their beloved laid to rest in a decent way. They agreed on condition that their demand of 10 beasts would be paid.
“We had to contribute, and villagers came to our rescue, with some of them donating four beasts, to save us from the marauding in-laws. After days of fundraising, we were allowed to bury the decomposing body. We discovered that she had lost her upper lip and nose,” added Sharai Mhondiwa, a sister to Witmore.
According to the village head representative of Kudiwa, who identified himself as Phineas Mwendamberi, the situation left a stain not to be forgotten. “We will have to gather as a village after the dust settles, to discuss with all young men to have an update on their marriages, as this has taught us many lessons in one month,” he said scratching his forehead.