A family in Zimbabwe is reeling from grief and confusion after mistakenly burying the body of a Malawian man, thinking it was their 23-year-old son, Peace Tafura.
The mix-up began when the family repatriated what they believed to be Peace’s body from a South African mortuary.
Peace had been tragically killed in a shootout in South Africa and his body aired to Zimbabwe.
Family members had initially expressed doubts about the identity of the body upon its arrival. However, the hearse driver dismissed their concerns, insisting it was Peace’s body.
“People even joked with the driver that if it turned out not to be our relative, he would bear the costs. But the driver was adamant he knew him,” said Patience Waziwanhaka, Peace’s sister-in-law.
The truth came to light on the day of the burial when South African authorities informed the driver of the mix-up.
Two days after the burial, the Malawian man’s body was exhumed, and the remains, along with Peace’s clothes and burial items, were taken back to South Africa.
The family is now consulting traditional leaders to address the cultural and spiritual repercussions of the mix-up.
“We thought we had given our son a befitting send-off, only to learn it was someone else,” said Theresa Tafirei, Peace’s aunt. “We don’t know the impact this will have on both families.”
Village head Tinonesana Sithole criticized the decision not to conduct a body viewing, stating it could have prevented the tragedy.
The family is now working to repatriate Peace’s actual remains from Pretoria, South Africa, so they can lay him to rest properly.
“We just want our son’s remains back,” said Martha Mutowo, Peace’s aunt.