A DNA test has uncovered a decades-old family secret following a bitter burial dispute in Dangamvura, Mutare.
Chief Mutasa ruled that David Kazhanje must fulfil customary obligations before claiming recognition as the deceased’s father-in-law.
The DNA test established a 99.9 per cent probability that Kazhanje was the deceased’s biological father. However, the chief insisted that biological evidence alone could not replace traditional procedures.
Chief Mutasa Orders Customary Processes After DNA Revelation
“You need to go and marry your late son’s mother first before you go to your son’s widow and introduce yourself as her father-in-law, as you have done,” Chief Mutasa told him.
The chief also ordered Kazhanje to compensate the Makururu family, which raised the deceased from infancy.
“Kazhanje should begin the traditional processes required of him, including compensating the Makururus, who looked after his child from birth until his death this year.
“He had already become a grown man with his own family. Kazhanje should also marry the deceased’s late mother.”
The dispute began after the deceased died in a road accident near Rusape on 26 July. He had always carried the Makururu surname and was recognised as part of that family.
However, tensions erupted the following day when Kazhanje arrived and declared that the deceased was his biological son.
The announcement sparked disagreements over the man’s identity, family lineage and burial arrangements. The Makururu family also questioned plans to bury him in Mutare.
Relatives Explain Decades-Old Secret Behind Burial Dispute
The deceased’s maternal aunt, Josephine Mutambanewose, reported the matter after relatives clashed over the funeral arrangements.
“After the death, when we went to collect the body from the mortuary, the Makururu family wanted to know why we intended to bury him in Mutare because they said the child belonged to them,” she said.
“They were the fathers that we knew, but the child grew up within my family. I told them that while he was alive they never acknowledged him, yet they now wanted to claim him in death.”
Stanley Minezhi, Mutambanewose’s brother, said he requested DNA testing to establish the truth.
“I am the one who instructed them to do a DNA test so that we could know the truth. It was only Kazhanje who underwent the tests, and the deceased was found to be his son,” he said.
Minezhi explained that the Makururu family had raised the deceased after paying roora for his mother.
Another maternal aunt, Julia Matambanewose, said her late sister had previously married into the Makururu family. The marriage produced two children before the couple separated.
“After they had been separated for six years, she became pregnant by Kazhanje,” she said.
She alleged that her sister later used her former husband’s details to obtain a birth certificate. Consequently, the child carried the Makururu surname.
“The truth is that the deceased was not Makururu’s child, and both parents went to the grave with that secret,” she said.
However, Kazhanje denied abandoning his son and said the family had kept him at a distance.
“They knew that I was the father. His late mother should have told her relatives that I was the deceased’s real father, but she never did. I spent my entire son’s life as an outsider, and sadly he never got the opportunity to know me before his death,” he said.
Meanwhile, the deceased’s widow, Rudo Madzivo, said she had accepted the DNA results despite the turmoil. She explained that the uncertainty complicated customary ceremonies, including the memorial service and distribution of his clothing.
Further questions emerged from DNA tests involving two of the deceased’s children. One reportedly showed a 63.9 per cent probability, which provided insufficient evidence to confirm or exclude a biological relationship. Another returned a 99.9 per cent probability.
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