Teachers demand exhumation of a thief’s grave to recover their property
In a bizarre development, three disgruntled Mwenezi teachers are allegedly demanding for a thief’s exhumation after he was buried together with their property.
The three, Taurai Sithole, Caroline Mlambo, and Lamedy Matavire from Dinhe Primary School under Chief Neshuro claim the late Tarisai Chihisani of Mashavele Village stole their household property worth over R50 000 during school holidays in March this year.
The matter only came to light during Chihisani’s burial when some mourners managed to positively identify some of their stolen blankets and utensils which were part of Chihisani’s loot. The stuff was identified being placed in the grave together with the body, a ritual commonly performed in Mwenezi.
Upon seeing some of the teacher’s stolen property being placed in the grave, eyewitnesses allegedly tipped off Sithole. He pursued the matter until the recovery of his property from villagers who had acquired Chihisani’s loot.
Speaking during an interview, Sithole told TellZim that he was now pushing the exhumation of Chihisani’s remains so that they recover some of their property which he was buried together with.
“After being tipped off by some mourners at Chihisani’s burial that some of our property was buried together with him, I initiated some thorough investigations and managed to track down some of the people whom the deceased had sold some of the property to which included mattresses, pots, electrical gadgets and several other kitchen utensils.
“We lost property worth R50 000 and so far we have managed to recover only something worth around R15 000, “said Sithole.
Sithole revealed that the flowers that were put on Chihisani’s grave were also stolen from his kitchen, and he is now pushing for the matter to be heard at Chief Neshuro’s traditional court after the matter proved too heavy for the local headman.
“The blankets and several property which Chihisani was buried with are our belongings which he stole. The flowers which are currently decorating his grave were stolen from my kitchen and I bought that flower in Harare sometime last year.
We are pushing for his exhumation because we need our belongings,” he said.
Chief Neshuro’s secretary Pinias Shoko confirmed the case and said the matter is due to be heard any time soon.
—iHarare
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