THE family of former Mthwakazi Liberation Front leader, Churchill Guduza, has been left torn apart over differences surrounding the burial of one of their brothers.
Tensions started after the death of Churchill’s elder brother Aubrey Makhosiwonke Moyo Guduza on May 18 in South Africa.
He was 71.
Some of the family members accused Churchill of hijacking Makhosiwonke’s body from South Africa for burial in Tsholotsho without the consent of his children and other family members.
They accused him of also forging his death certificate as well as burial repatriation orders despite the fact that Makhosiwonke had allegedly renounced his citizenship.
Makhosonke’s death certificate issued on May 21 by South African authorities showed that he was a South African and he died at Baragwanath Hospital due to natural causes.
Makhosiwonke was buried in Tsholotsho on June 1, but the issue has left the family members divided, with Churchill accused of hijacking his body for ritual purposes.
Makhosiwonke was the elder in Guduza family.
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Churchill, who is also based in South Africa, is number three in the family.
The youngest brother in the family, Lumumba, who is based in the United Kingdom, told Southern Eye on Sunday that he and other family members could not attend the funeral after the body was allegedly hijacked and repatriated to Zimbabwe.
“He took his body without consulting his children and family,” Lumumba, who is also a lawyer, said.
“None of the family members attend this satanic fake burial.
“He was never supposed to be buried in Zimbabwe because he is not a Zimbabwean national.”
Lumumba also accused his brother of squandering contributions they made towards his burial which was initially set for South Africa before his body was repatriated to Zimbabwe.
“He hasn’t told anyone how the money was spent,” he said.
“Now he is after every family property in Zimbabwe as if he is the only child of Makathini Guduza.”
Churchill admitted tensions and divisions in the family following the death and burial of his elder brother.
“In my family there is a rogue element who has manipulated my brother’s children so that they spread lies that my brother was buried in a cheap coffin when they did not see that,” Churchill said.
Churchill denied charges of squandering the burial contributions and hijacking the body.
“My brother was given a decent burial and his coffin was one of the expensive ones at R8500,” he said.
“I do not understand why these children are spreading rubbish.
“Now they are the ones who are saying all this; how do I deal with them when it’s like this, when their aunties encourages them to spread lies.”
