Father confirms burying son alive, exhuming body after two days

IN an incident that has left villagers' tongues wagging, a Chiwundura family allegedly buried its relative alive before exhuming his body two days later.

The incident occurred on Monday when the man, Wilson Gundwani of Gunde area in Chiwundura, was allegedly buried alive by his family members after he collapsed while collecting his ration of seed maize procured under the Presidential Input Support Scheme.

It is alleged that Gundwani complained of a headache in the morning and visited Gunde Clinic where he was given medication before proceeding to the chief's homestead to collect seed maize.

According to fellow villagers, Gundwani collapsed on his way home after foam started coming out of his mouth and nose.
Fellow villagers who were with him tried to render first aid but to no avail.

A villager who spoke to Sunday News on condition of anonymity said Gundwani was not taken to hospital after he collapsed but was instead taken to his home.

"Gundwani collapsed at around 6pm and was taken to his home. He was buried the following morning but he could move his hands and his body was still warm and flexible," said the villager.

The villager alleged that two days after Gundwani's burial, some members of the Johanne Masowe weChishanu apostolic sect who were based in Harare, came to his father's homestead and informed the family that they had buried a man alive and ordered them to exhume the body.

"Gundwani's body was exhumed after two days and they tried to resuscitate him by rubbing his feet and palms with coarse salt but to no avail. He was later reburied," said the villager.

Gundwani's father, Mr Benjamin Zivengwa Gundwani confirmed that his son may have been buried alive.

"It is true that his body was flexible and we could move and fold his hands. His body was still warm when we buried him.

"He was not taken to hospital and when we buried him foam was still coming out of his mouth and nose. There is a possibility that he could have been buried alive," he said.

Mr Gundwani, however, denied exhuming the body.

"Two days after my son was buried there are some members of the Johanne Masowe church who came to the homestead and told us that we had buried him alive. They ordered us to remove some of the soil from the grave using a shovel and they sprinkled water on top of the grave before we put the soil back.

"We also heard that people were spreading the rumours that we exhumed the body," he said.

However, villagers insisted that the family exhumed the body before they re-buried it.