THE father of a man who was beaten to death by the son of Midlands governor, Jason Machaya, and three others, has demanded a YOUNG WOMAN, US$15,000 in cash and SEVENTY head of cattle before he can bury his son, two years on.
The shock demands were made on Machaya by the slain man’s father, Tavenga Chokuda, who had threatened that his son’s vengeful spirit would haunt his killers and their families.
Machaya’s son Farai, and pals Abel Maposa, Edmore Gana and Bothwell Gana were last month convicted of the March 2009 murder of Moses Chokuda. High Court judge Nicholas Mathonsi, on circuit in Gweru, sent the four away for 18 years in jail.
The dead man – said to be an MDC-T activist in Gokwe -- had been accused of breaking into Farai’s Green Diamond Supermarket at Gokwe centre with the help of two other men, Isheunesu Sibanda and Leeroy Ndokwana.
On Tuesday, Machaya confirmed he had agreed to hand over 35 beasts and the cash after Chief Njelele, who was mediating, told Chokuda that some of his demands were “unreasonable”.
Chief Njelele said: “It was one of the most challenging cases that I ever handled at my court. On one hand, I wanted Moses to be buried while on the other I wanted the name of the Governor to be cleared as it had been tarnished by the media who were politicising the matter.
“Eventually, I managed to engage both families. Machaya, who was accompanied by his elder brother, pledged to pay the outstanding beasts. All is now set for the burial on Saturday in Chipere Village.”
The chief said he had told Chokuda that using human beings to appease avenging spirits was illegal.
“I refused to have a human being used as compensation for ngozi. I told them that it was against the laws of the land. On the 70 beasts they wanted, I made them realise that such demands were unreasonable,” said Chief Njelele.
Machaya said he had agreed to carry the burden for the other three men jailed with his son because they thought they were helping Farai.
The discussions with the Chokuda family started on Thursday last week and continued through to Sunday.
He added: “We have already given them 20 head of cattle as well as the US$15,000 cash they asked for.
“The remaining cattle will be handed over anytime soon. I could have surrendered them with the others on Monday but the beasts are in an area infected by foot and mouth and are not allowed to be moved out by the Veterinary Services Department.”
Moses’s body has been lying uncollected in a police metal box at Gokwe District Hospital mortuary for more than two and a half years.
His father, a self-proclaimed member of Johane Marange Apostolic sect, once claimed that his dead son was “fighting his own wars at the mortuary”.
He claimed his son had been seen seated on top of coffins and at times chasing away self-proclaimed prophets who wanted to conduct prayers before collecting his body for burial.
Chokuda, who is employed by Gokwe Town Council as a general hand, revealed then that there were certain rituals that needed to be done first before his son could finally be buried.