Double tragedy family buries wrong body of ‘murdered son”

By Staff Reporter

A distressed Gweru family which recently lost their son to murder had to endure more pain after they buried a corpse which they mistook for their deceased son.
Police in Midlands confirmed that indeed the burial of a wrong body occurred following two tragic murders which occurred on 4 December 2023 in Mkoba 14 and Mkoba 16 business centres, where Takudzwa Chipadza and Courage Sibanda were murdered respectively.
According to Midlands Police Spokesperson Inspector Emmanuel Mahoko on the 6th of December Chipadza’s relatives went to Gweru Provincial Hospital mortuary were they mistakenly collected the body of the late Sibanda instead of Chipadza;s body.
“They buried the body of Courage Sibanda on the 7th of December 2023 at Mutasa Cemetery, Clifton Park, Gweru,” said Mahoko.
On the same day when Sibanda was buried in Gweru, his relatives went to the same hospital mortuary to collect his body but instead collected that body of Chipadza.
“They took the body to Somabhula for burial and matter came to light the following day during the body viewing when the father of the deceased discovered it was not his son,” said Mahoko.
Sibanda’s family immediately advised Gweru Provincial Hospital authorities about the incident and Takudzwa’s relatives were also engaged.
“Upon identification of the body, both families agreed that the body which had been brought back was that of Takudzwa Chipadza. Courage Sibanda had been mistakenly buried.
“The exhumation of Courage Sibanda’a body was granted by the relevant authorities, and it was exhumed on the 14th of December 2023. Both bodies will be buried on 15 December 2023, Courage Sibanda in Somabhula and Takudzwa Chipadza at Mutasa Cemetery in Gweru,” said Mahoko.
Meanwhile, police are encoua5rgeing bereaved families to take their time in identifying their dead relatives and be satisfied before burial to avoid such occurrences.