Interplay between the church and traditional customs on inheritance

Respecting traditional norms that value inheritance challenges in any society for community development is required among Christians.

Traditional and cultural experts made the call given poor inheritance practices hindering family unity and ushering bad omens around communities.

Zimbabwe National Traditional Healers Association (Zinatha) secretary of education and board member, Prince Mutandi, said inheritance affects those who abuse it.

“We call upon churches not to interfere with the family inheritance,” he said.

“If inheritance is not followed properly in our cultural practice, it will haunt you. These include issues to do with sarapavana (guardian) kugara nhaka (heir apparent) kugova nhumbi (property sharing). If not done correctly, it will affect people inside the family giving some misfortunes,” Mutandi added.

Traditional values result in signs of bad omen if the inheritance is not followed properly, said Mutandi.

”The deceased will not rest. They will fight back as a form of avenging spirit if the inheritance is not properly handled,” added Mutandi, a Principal and Lecturer at Zinatha School of Traditional Medicine.

He called on church members to keep a distance when the deceased property is shared.

“Church mates come to bury members and do manyaradzo (memorial services) but they don’t go deeper into the family inheritance process. It will be left to the family with elders leading. Culturally, it is believed that when one dies, they will be received by members of their tribe in the spiritual world. According to the belief system of our norms and values of our culture, inheritance is done as a ritual ceremony by fellow relatives, not church members, and will be guided by spiritual healing,” he added.

Professor Jacob Mapara of the Centre for Indigenous Knowledge and Living Heritage (African Languages) at the Chinhoyi University of Technology, agreed that ‘greed’ has the effect of destroying family unity and cohesion.

”The robbed children grow up with anger and a desire for revenge. They will not be in good books, especially with those they will consider to have benefitted from their patrimony,” said Mapara.

He added that several cases are recorded where avenging spirits (ngozi) have afflicted the estate grabbers and their children.

Leader of the United Apostolic Faith Church, Archbishop Busani Sibanda, explained that the laws of inheritance before amendments favoured a male child who would be appointed as heir to the estate leaving the majority of children inclusive of the spouse in the cold.

“This brought more harm than good in that regardless of the size of the estate one child would benefit in a personal capacity. There are therefore no elements of equality and respect and protection of human rights to equality, house, education, health and food among other needs,” he said.

There is a need for legal reforms to create laws synonymous with our cultures, particularly in polygamous setups, Sibanda noted.

”Legal reforms in inheritance formulas to provide more to minor children as opposed to even distribution with major children. There is also a need to revamp inheritance structures, particularly on provisions dealing with the concept of awarding a matrimonial house to the surviving spouse by deleting the clause immediately staying before death as this negatively affects many spouses who may have been displaced because of work and other noble causes while fending for the same family.

”Property grabbing by greedy relatives negatively affects potential beneficiaries and society at large as many would be left homeless and roam the streets and engage in illegal activities. There are uneven laws that promote thuggery and ground for the breeding of criminal activities,” said Sibanda.

Federation for Indigenous Churches of Zimbabwe (FICZ) secretary-general, Reverend Mathias Tsine, said it is high time Christian umbrella bodies vigorously campaign within their respective member churches in favour of the current laws of inheritance urging constitutionalism to be a part of the pulpit message.

”Churches must take into account legal frameworks related to church administration. It is our belief within religious circles that property unjustly acquired has adverse repercussions on beneficiaries. Inheritance has been known to be a transfer of property from a deceased father to sons with the eldest getting the bigger chunk. This cultural exclusion of the girl child and the surviving female spouse is making it difficult to align with the current dictates of the law. This has also affected bestowing church leadership to women as the church is still drenched in a patriarchal society,” said Tsine.

During one annual conference, FICZ engaged the office of the Master of the High Court to teach church leaders on inheritance laws of the country.

”The meeting was indeed insightful. This type of engagement is one-way. Churches can draw a roadmap on the administration of deceased estates and inheritance of church property from one generation to the other continuously,” said Tsine.

Lack of traditional understanding is affecting inheritance challenges in some families.