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Midlands Correspondent
A Gweru family recently claimed a wrong body at Gweru Provincial Hospital mortuary and went on to  bury it at Mtapa Cemetery, police confirmed. The incident occurred on Saturday when the family mistook the body of Taurai Chikuni to be that of their relative, Garikai Macheka. Sources said when relatives of Chikuni arrived at Gweru Provincial Hospital intending to collect the body to their rural home in Zaka, they found it missing.

The sources said the Chikuni family, with the help of the mortuary attendant, later discovered that Chikuni’s body   had been claimed in a mistaken identity incident.

“It was then discovered in the hospital records that relatives of Garikai Macheka of Mtapa suburb had mistakenly collected the body of Taurai Chikuni for burial at Mtapa Cemetery,” said the source who declined to be named.

The source said when the Chikuni family arrived at Mtapa Cemetery, they found the Macheka family conducting the last prayer while preparing to disperse.
The source said police and officials from Gweru City Council were later called to resolve the matter following a heated argument between the two families.

“Gweru City Council officials later intervened and presided over the exhumation of Chikuni’s body. This was after police indicated they had no part to play since the exhumation of the body was not in connection with any criminal matter that needed police investigation,” said the  source.

The source said the Chikuni family later demanded compensation and took away the body together with the coffin that the  Macheka family had bought. “I understand Taurai Chikuni would be reburied in Zaka today (tomorrow) while Garikai Macheka was buried on Monday at the same grave where Chikuni was exhumed,” said the source.

Midlands police spokesperson Inspector Emmanuel Mahoko yesterday confirmed the incident.

“We did not handle that case as the police. You can check with the hospital authorities as well as the Gweru City Council officials,” he said. Gweru City Council’s acting housing director, Ms Unity Jaji, confirmed the incident.  She, however, declined to comment further saying she has since compiled a report and handed it over to the Town Clerk, Mr Daniel Matawu.