Chipinge – A devastating mix-up has plunged a Zimbabwean family from Chipinge – South-East of the country – into profound grief and cultural turmoil after they mistakenly buried the body of a Malawian national, believing it to be their son, Peace Tafura, who died in a South African shooting.
The discovery, made on the very day of the burial, has left the family grappling with the emotional weight of their loss, compounded by the spiritual and cultural ramifications of the error.
The family, from Manyaya Village under Chief Mutema in Manicaland prince near Zimbabwe's border with Mozambique, unknowingly repatriated and buried the remains of an unidentified Malawian man who had been in the same South African mortuary for eight months. The shocking revelation came from South African officials who informed the hearse driver of the tragic mistake on the day of the burial, 4 December.
Peace’s aunt, Ms Theressa Tafirei, described the family’s distress in a heart-wrenching interview: “We thought we had given our son a befitting send-off, not knowing it was someone else. Now that the stranger has been exhumed, they took the remains along with Peace’s bloody clothes and a blanket. We do not know the repercussions this will bring to our family or the Malawian family. We are in pain,” she lamented.
Peace’s body remains in Pretoria, South Africa, awaiting repatriation, while the Malawian national’s remains are reportedly in a Beitbridge mortuary. The confusion, according to Peace’s sister-in-law, Ms Patience Waziwanhaka, who resides in Rustenburg, South Africa, began at the South African mortuary when both families arrived to claim their deceased relatives.
Ms Waziwanhaka detailed the events leading to the tragic error: “My other sister-in-law who was tasked with identifying the body, initially raised concerns, but was dismissed by the hearse driver who claimed that he knew that it was Peace’s body in the coffin, and that she was confused by the trauma of their relative’s death.
"When they gave us the body, my sister-in-law immediately noticed it was not Peace’s remains. People even joked with the driver that if we later found out that it was not our late relative, he would meet all the costs. But the hearse driver insisted he knew him and dismissed the concerns. We trusted his word and proceeded to Zimbabwe,” she explained.
Ms Waziwanhaka also recounted the circumstances surrounding Peace’s death: “He died in a shootout at his home in Rustenburg on November 16. His Sotho neighbours killed someone, and when gunmen came for revenge, they killed the two Sotho men. Peace, who was asleep in his home, came out confused and was caught up in the crossfire. He died on the spot, his body riddled with countless bullets,” she said.
The family’s joy at what they believed to be a proper burial quickly turned to shock when they received the devastating news on the day of the burial.
“We buried him on Wednesday, December 4, and that very day, we were informed that we had buried the wrong body. We awaited further instructions, and the Malawian national was exhumed two days later, on December 6,” added Ms Waziwanhaka.
The incident has raised profound cultural and spiritual concerns for the family. Ms Tafirei expressed deep anxieties: “The Malawian national was buried without any rituals being performed. His spirit could still be roaming here, and we fear the consequences. We are in the process of consulting traditional leaders to cleanse our home and land,” she said.
The village head, Mr Tinonesana Sithole, expressed his frustration over the lack of body viewing before burial, a customary practice that could have prevented the mix-up.
“When Peace’s remains arrived, I told the deceased’s father, Mr Robert Tafura, to view the body before burial, but he refused. Now look at what has happened. They have tainted this area with foreign spirits. We need cleansing rituals to restore order,” he stated.
Councillor Pearson Sithole echoed these sentiments, emphasizing the need for spiritual cleansing: “What happened here is shocking and unprecedented. The family must cleanse their homestead and land, as the Malawian national’s spirit could bring misfortune to the surviving family members,” he said.
Peace’s aunt, Ms Martha Mutowo, described the family’s ongoing turmoil and concerns: “We are in so much pain. It is taboo to bury a foreigner. Had the body not been exhumed, we would have faced the torment of avenging spirits. We just want our son’s remains back so that we can lay him to rest properly. We are still trying to come to terms with what happened. It is a difficult time for our family, and we just want to ensure that our son is laid to rest with dignity and respect,” she said.
Ms Mutowo also raised suspicions about the hearse driver’s actions during the exhumation: “He performed rituals without explaining what he was doing. He took a branch and swept the grave area, then left with the exhumed body and some soil from the grave. We do not know if he acted on instructions from the Malawian family. This is deeply unsettling,” she added.
The family is now focused on repatriating Peace’s body, which was still in Pretoria as of Tuesday. “We will not bury our son in the same grave where the Malawian national was buried. This has been a harrowing experience, and we are waiting for Chief Mutema’s guidance on how to cleanse our home,” concluded Ms Mutowo.
The incident highlights the devastating consequences of errors in the handling of deceased persons and the profound cultural sensitivities surrounding death and burial rites in Zimbabwe.
