A DNA result has confirmed David Kazhanje as the father of a deceased man in Mutare, but Chief Mutasa says that alone won't settle the family dispute. The test showed a 99.9% chance of paternity, yet the chief ruled that Kazhanje must meet certain cultural duties before taking his place in the family.
The trouble began after the man died in a car crash near Rusape. He had spent his life using the Makururu name, and that family had long treated him as one of theirs. Then Kazhanje came forward after the death and claimed to be his dad.
That claim led to a row over where the man should be laid to rest. The Makururus questioned plans for a funeral in Mutare, while relatives on his mother's side argued that the family had not fully accepted him while he was alive.
His aunt, Josephine Mutambanewose, took the dispute to the chief. Her brother, Stanley Minezhi, pushed for a paternity test to clear up the issue. The result backed Kazhanje's claim, but it did not resolve the clash over family rights.
And the backstory has quite a few twists. According to another aunt, Julia Matambanewose, the man's mother had been married into the Makururu family and had two kids from that union. After six years apart from her husband, she became pregnant by Kazhanje.
Julia alleged that her sister later used her former husband's information when registering the child's birth. That left the boy with the Makururu surname, while his true parentage remained hidden for years.
Kazhanje disputes claims that he chose to stay away. He says the relatives had kept him out of his son's life, despite knowing who the biological father was. He also regrets that the two never had a chance to build a relationship before the young man's death.
Chief Mutasa made it clear that DNA evidence was only part of the matter. He directed Kazhanje to complete the customary marriage obligations linked to the deceased's mother, who has also died. The chief also wants him to compensate the Makururus for bringing up the child.
The ruling means Kazhanje cannot simply approach the widow and take on the role of her father-in-law without following those steps. Under the chief's decision, family customs still matter even when science has settled the question of paternity.
For Rudo Madzivo, the man's widow, the test result is something she has accepted. But the family conflict has left her unsure how to handle rites for her husband, from his memorial to the sharing of his clothes.
There were also tests linked to two of the man's children. One showed a 99.9% likelihood of a biological link. The other came back at 63.9%, a result that could neither establish nor rule out the relationship.
For the relatives in Dangamvura, the dispute has brought years of hidden family history into the open. The chief's ruling sets out what Kazhanje must do next, while the family still has to deal with the personal impact of the revelation.
The trouble began after the man died in a car crash near Rusape. He had spent his life using the Makururu name, and that family had long treated him as one of theirs. Then Kazhanje came forward after the death and claimed to be his dad.
That claim led to a row over where the man should be laid to rest. The Makururus questioned plans for a funeral in Mutare, while relatives on his mother's side argued that the family had not fully accepted him while he was alive.
His aunt, Josephine Mutambanewose, took the dispute to the chief. Her brother, Stanley Minezhi, pushed for a paternity test to clear up the issue. The result backed Kazhanje's claim, but it did not resolve the clash over family rights.
And the backstory has quite a few twists. According to another aunt, Julia Matambanewose, the man's mother had been married into the Makururu family and had two kids from that union. After six years apart from her husband, she became pregnant by Kazhanje.
Julia alleged that her sister later used her former husband's information when registering the child's birth. That left the boy with the Makururu surname, while his true parentage remained hidden for years.
Kazhanje disputes claims that he chose to stay away. He says the relatives had kept him out of his son's life, despite knowing who the biological father was. He also regrets that the two never had a chance to build a relationship before the young man's death.
Chief Mutasa made it clear that DNA evidence was only part of the matter. He directed Kazhanje to complete the customary marriage obligations linked to the deceased's mother, who has also died. The chief also wants him to compensate the Makururus for bringing up the child.
The ruling means Kazhanje cannot simply approach the widow and take on the role of her father-in-law without following those steps. Under the chief's decision, family customs still matter even when science has settled the question of paternity.
For Rudo Madzivo, the man's widow, the test result is something she has accepted. But the family conflict has left her unsure how to handle rites for her husband, from his memorial to the sharing of his clothes.
There were also tests linked to two of the man's children. One showed a 99.9% likelihood of a biological link. The other came back at 63.9%, a result that could neither establish nor rule out the relationship.
For the relatives in Dangamvura, the dispute has brought years of hidden family history into the open. The chief's ruling sets out what Kazhanje must do next, while the family still has to deal with the personal impact of the revelation.
