Man digs up aunt's grave in search of gold rings

A 38-year-old Goromonzi man has been sentenced to six months in prison after admitting to digging up his late aunt's grave in a bizarre attempt to recover gold rings he believed had been buried with her.

Challenge Jasi pleaded guilty to violating a grave when he appeared before Murehwa magistrate Panashe Matongo.

Principal Public Prosecutor Anesu Gwena told the court that Jasi exhumed the remains of his aunt, Rosina Dipazhi, who died in 2002 and was buried at Mermaid Pool Cemetery in Chief Chikwaka, Juru.

The court heard that on August 2, Jasi allegedly borrowed a hoe from his nephew at Chipunza Farm, claiming that he wanted to collect traditional medicine from a nearby forest.

Instead, he allegedly went to Mermaid Pool Cemetery, where he dug up his aunt's grave during the day in search of gold rings he believed had been buried with her.

After opening the grave, Jasi allegedly removed human remains and clothing before placing them in a sack and travelling to Harare.

The following day, August 3, at about 12.40pm, Jasi went to ZRP Highlands, where he said he was following up on reports he had previously made.

While interviewing him, Assistant Inspector Teredzerai Shonhai reportedly became suspicious about the sack Jasi was carrying and questioned him about its contents.

Jasi subsequently admitted that the sack contained human remains, leading to his arrest.

The court heard that his actions had disturbed and desecrated his aunt's grave, prompting the criminal charge.

Magistrate Matongo sentenced Jasi to six months in prison after considering his guilty plea and the circumstances of the offence.

The case has drawn attention because of the unusual circumstances surrounding the exhumation and the belief that valuables had been buried with the deceased.