News / Regional
Man pays lobola for late wife
26 Jun 2016 at 18:20hrs | Views
A BULILIMA family has demanded lobola for their 47-year-old daughter who burnt herself to death in a hut recently as her husband had stayed with her for the past eight years without the family's knowledge.
Sikhona Dube of Madlambuzi area set her bedroom hut on fire on 7 June at about 5am in a suspected case of suicide following a long illness.
Sikhona was only buried after her family ordered her husband, Mr Benson Malipa Moyo who is a teacher at Gampu Primary School in Bulilima to pay a beast upfront. A village head from Madlambuzi area, Mr Simon Ndebele said the Dube family first demanded four beasts from Mr Moyo.
"The burial had been scheduled for 9 June but it was later moved because there was a lot of tension between the families. The Dube family was disgruntled because Moyo had stayed for eight years with their daughter but did not pay a cent to the elders.
"They then ordered him to handover four beasts if he wanted to bury his wife at his homestead in Madlambuzi area. Moyo failed to make the payment and then his in-laws decided that their daughter will be buried in her home area in Gampu area on condition that he pays two beasts as payment for staying with their daughter," he said.
Mr Ndebele said the Dube family refused to conduct the burial and pointed out they wanted the payment upfront.
He said the traditional leadership of the community had to engage the two families over the matter.
He said the Dube family only agreed to have the burial conducted after Mr Moyo paid $300 which his in-laws regarded as half payment for one beast.
Mr Ndebele said Moyo had been given a grace period of one week after the burial to pay the remaining amount which was $900.
Chief Madlambuzi's secretary Mr Grey Ndlovu said the Moyo family and mourners who were accompanying them to the Dube homestead in Gampu area suffered severe torture at the hands of the Dube family.
"We arrived at the Dube homestead around 7pm with their daughter's remains but they denied us entry. We spent that night outside with the body of the deceased and they only granted us permission to enter the following day around 9am. This was after Moyo had paid the $300 charge," said Mr Ndlovu.
He said the Dube family also ordered Moyo to pay $150 to cater for the costs which they had incurred gathering for their daughter's funeral.
Mr Ndlovu said the Dube family was bitter about their daughter's death as they blamed it on Mr Moyo whom they accused of neglecting their daughter.
Sikhona's brother, Mr Morris Dube said his family was not aware that their daughter had been staying with Mr Moyo for the past eight years. He said his sister's death had pained the family and he described Mr Moyo's actions as a sign of disrespect.
On the day she died, Dube assigned her sons to run an errand for her at the business centre around 5am and went on set her bedroom hut on fire.
Sikhona Dube of Madlambuzi area set her bedroom hut on fire on 7 June at about 5am in a suspected case of suicide following a long illness.
Sikhona was only buried after her family ordered her husband, Mr Benson Malipa Moyo who is a teacher at Gampu Primary School in Bulilima to pay a beast upfront. A village head from Madlambuzi area, Mr Simon Ndebele said the Dube family first demanded four beasts from Mr Moyo.
"The burial had been scheduled for 9 June but it was later moved because there was a lot of tension between the families. The Dube family was disgruntled because Moyo had stayed for eight years with their daughter but did not pay a cent to the elders.
"They then ordered him to handover four beasts if he wanted to bury his wife at his homestead in Madlambuzi area. Moyo failed to make the payment and then his in-laws decided that their daughter will be buried in her home area in Gampu area on condition that he pays two beasts as payment for staying with their daughter," he said.
Mr Ndebele said the Dube family refused to conduct the burial and pointed out they wanted the payment upfront.
He said the traditional leadership of the community had to engage the two families over the matter.
Mr Ndebele said Moyo had been given a grace period of one week after the burial to pay the remaining amount which was $900.
Chief Madlambuzi's secretary Mr Grey Ndlovu said the Moyo family and mourners who were accompanying them to the Dube homestead in Gampu area suffered severe torture at the hands of the Dube family.
"We arrived at the Dube homestead around 7pm with their daughter's remains but they denied us entry. We spent that night outside with the body of the deceased and they only granted us permission to enter the following day around 9am. This was after Moyo had paid the $300 charge," said Mr Ndlovu.
He said the Dube family also ordered Moyo to pay $150 to cater for the costs which they had incurred gathering for their daughter's funeral.
Mr Ndlovu said the Dube family was bitter about their daughter's death as they blamed it on Mr Moyo whom they accused of neglecting their daughter.
Sikhona's brother, Mr Morris Dube said his family was not aware that their daughter had been staying with Mr Moyo for the past eight years. He said his sister's death had pained the family and he described Mr Moyo's actions as a sign of disrespect.
On the day she died, Dube assigned her sons to run an errand for her at the business centre around 5am and went on set her bedroom hut on fire.
Source - sundaynews
