There was drama at the funeral of Chief Chikore after his children from his polygamous marriages engaged in endless battles over burial rights.
Chief Chikore, born Dennis Mushambi-Chikore, of Makoni District succumbed to Covid-19 at Rusape General Hospital last week, he was 97.
iHarare established from the Manica Post that children from the traditional leader’s second wife Ms Elizaberth Gwefete claimed the burial rights angering children from the Chief’s first wife Ms Chenzira Chikore.
According to family sources, Mrs Chikore and her children were not informed of the Chief’s death only to receive the news from the grapevine.
Ms Gwefete’s children reportedly approached Makoni District Development Coordinator, Mr Edwin Mashindi, requesting for funeral assistance to bury their father.
Mr Mashindi then contacted elders of the Chief’s clan who said they knew nothing about the Chief’s demise.
Ms Gwefete and her children went ahead with burial arrangement and contacted Nyaradzo Funeral Services to assist in the burial of their father.
News of the secret burial reached Mrs Chikowore and her children who then contacted senior clan members, the District Development Coordinator’s Office and police to stop the burial.
After stopping the burial the chief’s body was driven 150 km back to Rusape and a grave that had been dug at Ms Gwefete’s home was refiled.
The bickering family members finally reached an agreement and the chief was buried on Tuesday night in Manyakanyaka Mountain in accordance with cultural and traditional rites.
Chief Chikore’s daughter from the first marriage, Winnet, said her stepmother and her children wanted to settle a grudge with Mrs Chikore by denying the Chief a decent send-off.
When a chief dies, the funeral is supposed to be a secret until after the burial. We have sacred burial places for departed chiefs. We were shocked by the behaviour of Elizabeth (Ms Gwefete) and her children as they wanted to bury our father at their doorstep. A chief cannot be buried like an ordinary villager.
We did our best as his children to make sure that his status was not lowered. Some people were taking advantage of his advanced age to make him do questionable things, including seeking a peace order against us the children of his first wife, she said.-iharare
