Family demands $20,000 from in-laws over death of their daughter

A family in Mangwe District has demanded cash and property with a combined value of more than $20,000 from their in-laws as compensation for the death of their daughter who was murdered recently.

26-year-old businessman, Tendai Ngwenya and his ex-lover, Lisa Nleya (19) from Ngwanyana area, were burnt beyond recognition when the man locked himself up and the woman in his shop and set it alight during a dispute over custody of their three-year-old child.

The Nleya family has since issued the Ngwenya family with a letter stating their demands.

In the letter, the Nleya family has demanded $15,000, five goats and five lambs for bride price.

They have also demanded $3,900 for costs incurred during the burial of their daughter, $2,000 for disrespect by their late son-in-law and a cow as payment for assaulting  Nleya's grandmother.

The Ngwenya family was also told to produce cow for failing to procedurally report the incident to the Nleya family, another cow for damages, a goat for collecting ash without the approval of the Nleya family and five goats for the harassment brought upon the family as a result of the incident.

Ngwenya's uncle said his family received the letter soon after the burial.

"The tragedy that befell us has caused great tension between our family and the Nleya family. Our in-laws have proven really difficult as they have been fighting us and making our lives a living hell ever since the incident occurred.

"Soon after the burial they issued us with a letter stating unreasonable demands as payment for their daughter's death. The letter which I have since surrendered at the police station has cash and property amounting to over $20,000," said Mr Johnson Ngwenya.

He said his family would not comply with these demands as they could not be held accountable for the incident.

"The Nleya family will not be receiving any money from us because the person responsible for their daughter's death is already dead. If they wish to make any demands they should do so before the person who committed the offence not us.

"If they assume that we will pay then they are misguided. We are in the process of holding meetings as a family but that is our stand point. We will also engage the village leadership so that we make our stance clear," he said.

Mr Ngwenya said before the incident the two ex-lovers were constantly engaging in disputes which were being fuelled by the Nleya family.

"Tendai and Lisa were constantly fighting but the tension worsened last year because the Nleya family was denying our son access to his child who was in their custody. Things turned out for the worst after then as the two were frequently dragging one another to court.

"They had their own disputes which eventually resulted in their death and we as families should not assume responsibility and accountability for two grown up people who were making decisions on their own," he said.

Mr Ngwenya said they would meet with the Nleya family to announce their standpoint.

On the day of the tragedy, Ngwenya went to his ex-lover's homestead where he assaulted Nleya's grandmother for denying him access to his child.

He is reported to have dragged Nleya by the hair from her homestead to his shop which is a few metres away.

Ngwenya locked the door from inside and set the shop alight.