SYDNEY MUBAIWA
KWEKWE- As the impasse over some missing body parts and compensation being demanded by the aggrieved family is yet to be resolved, the body of Munyaradzi Dube (31) has clocked one year and seven months at Kwekwe General Hospital mortuary.
Dube who was an artisanal miner was allegedly murdered for ritual purposes by fellow miners in Zhombe on 11 August, 2023.
Dube’s body was discovered 21 days later in a disused mine shaft with missing body parts which include a tongue, left eye and hair from the back of his head.
Efforts to bury his remains were not successful on several occasions after he allegedly manifested in his demand to be buried with all his body parts intact. Efforts by traditional leaders to resolve the issue remained unsuccessful as the aggrieved family insisted that they cannot bury their relative with some body parts missing.
His body clocked nine days on the doorstep of one of the accused persons’ home before it was conveyed to the hospital mortuary by the police.
Hospital authorities in an interview with The Midweek Watch said they are waiting for a conflict resolution commission to be set up to deal with the matter.
Kwekwe General Hospital Medical Superintendent Dr Bruce Mhondiwa confirmed the development.
“Dube’s body is still stuck in our mortuary and it is still in the same state when it was brought here.
“The biggest challenge in this case is that the family of the accused person are falling to meet the demands set by the aggrieved family as part of compensation conditions.
“We have tried all our efforts to solve the matter and the District Development Coordinator also tried in his corner but nothing materialised,” he said.
He said they have high hopes that the setting up of a Conflict Resolution Commission by government would come in a long way to assist in bringing the matter to closure.
The commission will provide a neutral platform for parties in the conflict to negotiate and resolve their differences through mediation and arbitration whilst promoting a peaceful coexistence and social cohesion.
In an unrelated but similar case, the body of Moses Chokuda clocked two and a half years at Gokwe District Hospital mortuary after he was murdered by Farai Machaya, son of former governor of the Midlands province and Isaac Gana on March 22, 2009.
Chokuda’s family demanded a huge compensation from the two families before they buried him.
