MUREWA — A Murewa woman has dragged Chief Luscious Chitsinde Negomo to the magistrate courts challenging him over a judgement he passed that forced her to pay lobola for her son.
Report by Moses Chibaya
The case will be heard at Murewa magistrate’s courts this week.
Angel Gatakata is demanding back her livestock that were attached by Chief Negomo’s messenger as part of lobola for her son, Prosper Gatakata.
Prosper married Wonder Marara’s daughter, Maggie, and the two have been living together for the past eight years but had not paid the bride price.
Miffed that Prosper was enjoying conjugal rights with his daughter without paying a single cent, Marara reported the case to the chief.
Chief Negomo on October 28 2011 ordered his messenger to attach five cattle and three goats from Gatakata’s family as lobola to the Marara family.
“To pay lobola 4 x bovines (cattle) for Danga, 1 x bovine for Umai, Gwiro US$60, Masungiro 7 metre cloth plus US$45 on top, 1 blanket plus US$25 on top,” reads the judgement passed by Chief Negomo at his community court.
But Gatakata argues that the livestock that was taken belongs to her and not Prosper, who is an adult.
She said the goats that were taken were paid to her as lobola (Masungiro) for a married daughter, so it was culturally a taboo for them to be used as bride price for her son.
“The chief’s messenger attached my five beasts, three goats in a matter involving my son Prosper Gatakata who is a major,” read the court papers filed by Gatakata. “My property has nothing to do with this case because the beasts are my personal property.”
University of Zimbabwe English lecturer, Memory Chirere, who is an author of English and Shona novels, said livestock belonging to a mother could not be used to pay lobola for a son, as it was culturally wrong.
“As far as I know, that’s a taboo in our culture. It’s wrong, you cannot use your mother’s livestock to pay lobola,” said Chirere.
But Ignatius Mabasa, another author, said it was not surprising because things were changing.
“Things are changing. People are now going to church. It depends with one’s background, so people are practically diverting from certain things in our culture,” Mabasa said.
I think chiefs need a lot of educatuion. Most of these people being made chiefs grew up in towns. Only went back when everything else failed and took the opportunity of being a chief, Such chiefs do not understand the calture they purport to up hold. In particular chiefs who have been pushed into office for political reasons, This case is a toptal extortion which requires the chief to stand trial. There should be plenty of people who have been robbed in the same manner as this mother who has been able to raise the issue
Is this not the same Chief that was in the Tsvangirai case? Anyway,this is totally not on. Mombe dzamai pamurume mukuru? Hazviite mufunge
Whether the property belongs to a female parent or male parent, it cannot be used to pay lobola for the son who is no longer a minor but a major. The chief’s ignorant ruling implies that if one’s son commits a crime, the parents must serve a jail term on his behalf. The was supposed to persuade rather than force the mother to pay lobola for her son who is a major. The ruling by the court of law is going to be obvious. In addition to be ordered to return the property, the chief would be ordered to pay the costs of the court application.
ka chief aka kamu salad
Modreck,,this chief is not a salad chap but simply an uneducated idiot without any brains.It’s not surprising he got a bribe in handling this case.Ignorance of the highest order.
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