05 Aug 2025

The body of Zimbabwean national, Ms Primrose Mukanhziri is still lying in a mortuary in Sebina following a tussle between her family and partner, Mr Xlani Moyo over her burial.

Mukanziri passed on May 8 in Nshakazhogwe. When Mr Moyo and the deceased’s family reached a stalemate, he sought the intervention of the Office of the District Commissioner in Tutume, who liaised with the Zimbabwean Embassy in Gaborone to engage the deceased family in Zimbabwe to allow him to bury Ms Mukanhziri in Botswana.

District Officer, Mr Bahiti Keiphokotse said they assisted Mr Moyo to get authority from the woman’s family, which was granted on July 30. He said Mr Moyo had reported that the family had refused to help him bury the deceased on the grounds that he had not paid the bride price despite having stayed with her for over 15 years.

Mr Keiphokotse said the family wanted the partner to follow their cultural custom by paying bride price before they could allow him to bury the mother of his six children, among whom is a three-months-old baby who was a month-old at the time of the deceased’s passing. He further said they had also engaged with the Tutume District Council through its Social and Community Development office to secure a coffin fior the deceased. 

However, councillor for Sebina Mr Mogomotsi Lemogang said although arrangements were made to bury the woman on Sunday, another setback cropped up as the mortuary where the body was kept demanded P22,000 for services it had rendered before it could release the body. Mr Lemogang said the partner was financially challenged and was not in a position to settle the amount required.

He said the council leadership would be engaged to see how best Mr Moyo could be assisted particularly since the body was in a bad state to remain lying in the mortuary. Meanwhile, Mr Moyo is appealing for help to bury his partner whom he said died from cancer. ENDS