Death at funeral wake, four family members fingered

THE case of a man from Bulilima in Matabeleland South Province who allegedly died due to suspected food poising during the funeral wake of his aunt took an ugly twist when four family members were fingered in the death.

B-Metro is reliably informed that after Shepherd Moyo died sometime last month, a fierce misunderstanding ensued within the family because some relatives suspect that the people who poisoned him were insiders.

According to a family member who asked for anonymity, after Moyo's death four people were identified as the "killers" and later received threats within the village after messages linking them to witchcraft practices went viral in the area.

It is reported that the headman then quickly called for a meeting without stating the agenda. During the meeting he surprised family members and other villagers by sneaking the issue into the meeting's agenda.

It is alleged that during the explosive meeting, four family members (named supplied) were fingered.

The fingered members also reportedly received threats from their children who joined the chorus of calling them witches.

Meanwhile, according to the source some family members were not happy with the way the family issue was handled by Headman Hikwa.

"The Moyo family was not happy with the way Hikwa handled the situation and after calling the meeting without informing the family. The family also felt that headman Hikwa was supposed to tell villagers what really caused Shepherd's death after some family members had earlier on confided the cause to him," said the source.

When contacted Hikwa fumed: "The meeting was a general meeting, it had nothing to do with the Moyo family and therefore, I don't know what they are talking about," she said.