Fined for keeping corpse for too long

A Headlands family has found itself at crossroads with the local traditional leadership after keeping a corpse for two days at their homestead while waiting for the arrival of a relative from abroad.

Under normal circumstances, the body of a deceased person spends a single night at home while awaiting burial the following day.

However, the Dapi family only buried their daughter in-law’s corpse after it spent two days at their homestead.

Village Head Chitatu yanked the Dapi family to Chief Makoni’s community court, accusing them of defiling the area’s customs and beliefs on handling a deceased person’s body.

“Alan Dapi lost his wife and the body was removed from mortuary to his homestead in preparation for burial the following day. To my surprise, they failed to bury the body the day she was supposed to be buried.

“I enquired from them and was told that they were waiting for the arrival of one of their relative who is based outside the country.

“I summoned them to my court, but they refused to appear before me, and this is why I have brought this matter before this court.

What they did is not part of our culture and they should be disciplined accordingly,” said Village Head Chitatu.

Dapi did not waste the court’s time and admitted committing the offence.

He cited ignorance as his major defence. “We were waiting for our relative who stays out of the country to attend the burial. We were not aware that we were violating local traditions and customs,” said a remorseful Dapi.

The court found Dapi guilty and fined him US$100 for violating the area’s traditions and customs.

He was also warned against such practice in future.

“What you did is not part of our culture. A corpse can only spend one night at home and should be buried the following day. If you had issues to solve before burial, you should not have collected the body from the mortuary or you should have at least returned it to the mortuary and wait for your relative’s arrival.

“We should accord respect to deceased people by sending them off in a dignified and cultural manner. It is not proper and desirable to bury a decomposing body when this could have been avoided. You are therefore fined US$100 for the offence,” ruled the court.

Under normal circumstances, the body of a deceased person spends a single night at home while awaiting burial the following day