The ManicaPost
Tendai Gukutikwa
Weekender Reporter
MOURNERS were left weak-kneed after a woman recently divorced her husband during their son’s funeral.
As if this was not enough, dogs feasted on the goat meat that had been slaughtered for the 13-year-old boy’s funeral wake in Mapuka Village in Odzi.
The incident has since been described as a bad omen by the area’s traditional leadership.
Samuel Dube was handed a divorce token by his wife, Chipo Mapuka during their son, Lazarus Dube’s funeral, much to the shock of the community.
The couple had two children together before Lazarus’ death.
The late Lazarus Dube who was waiting for his Grade Seven results passed on due to an ear infection after he had visited his mother in Odzi.
Narrating the ordeal in an unsolicited interview, Samuel Dube’s brother, Titus Sithole-Dube said they buried Lazarus amid the macabre real life drama.
He said the funeral was characterised by the confiscation of Lazarus’ corpse, arguments with in-laws, demands for lobola and mysterious bad omens like the dogs stealing the meat.
“When we were informed of Lazarus’ death, my brother’s in-laws refused to surrender the corpse to us, demanding that we pay lobola for their daughter beforehand. We bargained with them and promised to settle the lobola latter.
“We had no money to transport the corpse to our rural home in Mutasa, so we asked them to allow us to bury him in Odzi, which is my sister-in-law’s home. The in-laws asked us to fork out some money first. We paid US$25 and a goat that was to be slaughtered at the funeral. They allowed us to bury the child there,” he narrated.
However, it seemed as if the odds were against the child’s burial in Odzi as bad omen kept happening before the burial, said Sithole-Dube.
After the goat was slaughtered, Mapuka announced to the gathered mourners that she was divorcing Dube. She gave him the divorce token.
“She took everyone by surprise. As everyone was paying attention to her bombshell, dogs came and stole the meat which had been put in a dish. Mouths were left agape. We were forced to buy another goat as the in-laws demanded a replacement before Lazarus’ burial. They said failure to provide another goat would result in us finding an alternative place to bury our child,” said Sithole-Dube.
In an interview, Village head, Mr Toringepi Mapuka said it was unheard of in his area for dogs to steal meat at a funeral.
“My thinking is that the late Lazarus was against his burial here. A lot of mishaps were witnessed at his funeral wake. Maybe, all these were signs that the late Lazarus wanted his body to be repatriated to their Mutasa home. Yes, they had no money, but they should have done something to ensure that the boy was buried at his father’s rural home,” he said.
He also said the issue of Mapuka’s outstanding lobola payment also took centre stage during the funeral.
“He (Dube) was divorced in front of the mourners even though he publicly stated that he still loved his wife. The wife alleged that he is abusive and neglects his family,” he said.
In a separate interview, Dube said although he is still to mend his relationship with his wife, he still loves her.
“I am yet to pay her lobola. Even though she divorced me in public, I still loves her. We still have a child together and if she no longer loves me, then I should have the child’s custody, lest we will lose her in the same manner like Lazarus,” said Dube.
Repeated efforts to get a comment from Mapuka and her family members were futile at the time of going to print.
