In a shocking and bizarre incident, a woman allegedly impersonated the mother of her deceased grandson to steal his corpse from the Bonda Mission Hospital mortuary and conduct a hasty burial without the grieving mother’s knowledge or consent.

The incident was masterminded by Dropper Makwanza, who falsified information and impersonated Lisa Mafunga, the deceased’s mother, to obtain a burial order for the 14-year-old Denver Makwanza. This audacious act bypassed the rightful procedures and left the boy’s family in distress.

The case, which has raised eyebrows and sparked outrage, was brought before Chief Mutasa at his traditional court last Saturday. Shocked by the brazenness of the act, Chief Mutasa referred the matter to Ruda Police Station for a full criminal investigation and adjourned it to June 8, 2024, for further hearings.

Lisa’s father, Mr. Peter Mafunga, expressed the family’s devastation and outrage at the contempt shown by their in-laws. He revealed that they only learned of the burial through rumours while they believed the body was still at the hospital awaiting the arrival of Denver’s father from South Africa.

“We were shocked and devastated. My grieving daughter was waiting for her son’s father to arrive so they could bury their son together. She did not know her son had already been buried without her knowledge,” Mr Mafunga lamented. “This is not the first time the Makwanzas have done such a despicable thing. They did the same when another of my daughter’s children died a few years ago. This act has caused my daughter immense emotional and psychological trauma.”

Mr. Mafunga recounted how his daughter, already suffering from the tragic loss of her son, was further tormented by the underhanded burial.

Lisa, visibly emotional during the court session, shared her pain and disbelief. “I do not even know where they buried my son. I did not get to bid him farewell. They manipulated the process, took his body, and buried him behind my back,” she said tearfully.

Despite the accusations, Dropper Makwanza remained unfazed. She claimed that she informed Lisa about Denver’s death and that the Mafungas demanded $500 before they would allow the burial. “We raised $250 but couldn’t gather the full amount. I then contacted the deceased’s father in South Africa, who sent us money for the burial and instructed us to proceed,” she explained. Makwanza insisted that she followed proper procedures with the help of letters from the police and their village head, which stated that Lisa and her family were refusing to participate in the funeral.

Chief Mutasa, visibly dismayed, chastised both families for their actions. He condemned the practice of demanding payment for participation in funeral proceedings and vowed to uncover the truth.

“How could you stoop so low as to steal a corpse and bury it without the mother’s knowledge or consent? And what kind of family demands payment to sanction the burial of their loved one?” he questioned sternly.

Chief Mutasa emphasized the need to investigate how the burial order was obtained without proper identification and how the body was collected from the mortuary.