By Nyasha Chuma
A NYANGA man was given a “disrespectful burial” at Mbudzi Cemetery by Doves Holdings, six months after it had made his grieving relatives believe they had given their loved one a befitting send-off.
It later emerged that on the day of what was supposed to be a befitting send-off for the late Maxwell Chimwamurombe, Doves presented the grieving relatives with an empty coffin for burial.
The funeral service provider realized three days after interment that the corpse was still in the mortuary but remained quiet for six months, lawyers of the grieving family say, in a letter gleaned by Zim Morning Post.
To add insult to injury, Doves “proceeded to conceal evidence by burying” the “deceased client’s relative without their knowledge and consent with a pauper at Granville cemetery (Ku Mbudzi).”
The family say they are not ruling out ritualism.
“In a more shocking and completely unheard-of move, the burial was a mass-grave type of burial,” the family lawyers said.
“We are advised that our client’s relative was either buried in the same coffin with the pauper or buried in the same grave. All circumstances the burial being utterly disrespectful and demeaning the Chimwamurombe family. One cannot rule out ritualism,”, the lawyers, Chimwamurombe Legal Practice added.
It is alleged that Doves later tried to hoodwink the deceased’s relatives who hail from the rural area of Avilla and Kanyimo, in Nyanga.
“Your high-powered delegation only accepted the fact that ‘something was wrong but not any specific fact. We find that insulting. As you might be aware, you have reopened the funeral to our client and a swift resolution of the matter will be greatly appreciated. Our client reserves the right to sue for damages caused by the pain and suffering occasioned by this act,” the lawyers said.
“Your delegation blew hot and cold when asked by our Mr Gombiro on whether they accepted the facts amounting to your criminal, negligent and injurious conduct…By copy of this letter, we also bring this matter to the attention of the Zimbabwe Republic Police, Zimbabwe Anti Corruption Commission, Insurance and Pensions Commission and Zimbabwe Council of Chiefs for investigation.”
