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Auxilia Katongomara/Thembelihle Mhlanga, Chronicle Reporters 

WOMEN from Bulawayo have hailed First Lady Auxilia Mnangagwa’s inheritance programme, saying it is an eye opener and has left them empowered.

The First Lady has organised inheritance programmes which are ongoing country-wide after a realisation that a number of widows were losing their properties in inheritance disputes due to lack of knowledge of the law.

The programme, which was addressed by various resource persons, saw women from the city gathering at the Large City Hall for the inheritance awareness session on Monday.

Yesterday, the programme was held at the Lupane State University in Matabeleland North. 

In a speech read on her behalf by the Deputy Minister of Local Government Public Works and National Housing, Jennifer Mhlanga, the First Lady expressed concern over numerous cases received in her office over inheritance and property disputes, especially the administration of estates.

Amai Mnangagwa said women are short- changed and abused when their husbands die as the man’s family will either loot or take over all the property instead of leaving it for the widow and the children.

She attributed this to lack of knowledge by communities, especially women, of the laws that protect their rights over the deceased’s estate and them as the heirs to property.

The First Lady encouraged women or the surviving spouses to seek legal channels when death occurs.

Speaking at the same event, the Senior Principal Director for Public Affairs, Ambassador Mary Mubi, encouraged women to seek knowledge around the administration of inheritance and estates of the deceased.

She said women need to guard against crooks that capitalise on their lack of knowledge on estate administration laws. 

Ambassador Mubi said in some instances, cultural and traditional practices expose the survivors to some crooked elements in families.

The Master of the High Court, Mr Eldard Mutasa, explained to the meeting the processes to be followed after the death of a spouse.

He said after death of one spouse, all property should be registered with his office within a period of 14 days. 

“It’s a chargeable offence to hide and not register some of the deceased’s property as this is a criminal offence” said Mr Mutasa. 

Commenting on the programme, Mrs Veronica Munkuli from Binga hailed the First Lady for enlighting them. 

Meanwhile, in an interview on the sidelines of the Bulawayo meeting on Monday, Mrs Sibonokuhle Sibanda from Cowdray Park suburb said she had learnt a lot from the meeting.

“This meeting has enlightened me, I now know that if my husband passes on I have to register his Estate with the Master of the High Court for easy distribution without too many squabbles with family,” said Mrs Sibanda.

Ms Gladys Sibanda said she was happy that the law recognised all children in inheritance issues although the topic was met with mixed feelings during the meeting.

“You know circumstances differ; I did not know that my children are entitled to their father’s estate. I am a single mother now but I have children from a previous relationship. I am happy to know that my children are recognised also,” said Ms Dube.

A woman who identified herself as  MaSibanda from Njube D-square said she feared losing her property to her husband’s second wife but now she was enlightened and knew the offices to approach.

“Sifunde okunengi namuhla, omasihlalisane basithwalise nzima. Now I know what to do and where to go to get help,” she said.

A participant asked Mr Mutasa as to who is the beneficiary after the death of single mothers. “For single mothers, the beneficiaries of your estate are your children and not parents,” he said.

Mr Mutasa, whose presentation was well received by participants, explained that only women with formalised unions are recognised by law.

“A lot of women believe that if a man stays with them for a period of six months he automatically becomes a husband. Even if you have nine children as long as there is no marriage certificate or lobola payment (unregistered customary union) in the eyes of the law you are treated as a girlfriend or it’s cohabiting.

“We encourage those women who have not been married customarily to encourage their spouses to at least formalise the union by paying a bit of lobola for them. When it comes to inheritance they will not recognise you if no customary rites were conducted,” he explained.

Mr Mutasa said they had appointed an additional Master of the High Court in Bulawayo, Mrs Rosy Dube, to assist Bulawayo residents on Estate Administration issues.

Mr Charles Manhiri, acting Director for Constitutional and Parliamentary Affairs in the Ministry of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, said the marriage type determines how the Estate is distributed.

“We look at whether the deceased left a will or not and the type of marriage you have as it determines how an Estate is distributed. In other words the marriage is a foundation on how the Estate will be distributed,” he said.

– @AuxiliaK