FINALLY, VICTOR TO BE LAID TO REST?

MBABANE – After almost one and a half years, former Sports Council CEO Victor Shabangu will finally be laid to rest.
This comes after the court on Friday ruled that his father Pitoli Shabangu and Victor’s wife Nomvuyo Kunene should bury his (Victor) remains at Moneni.
Victor died on June 16, 2018 and his remains are currently kept at Dups Funeral Home.

Victor’s mother, Joyce Sibandze, wanted her son to be buried at Ngculwini while his father, Pitoli, was fighting to bury his remains at Moneni.
The situation was complicated further when a woman, Xolile Zwane, joined the fray and demanded to bury Victor’s remains. 

Demanded

Zwane claimed to be Victor’s wife and she demanded to be joined in the court proceedings as a party thereto.
Judge John Magagula, in his judgment on Friday, said: “The fourth respondent (Zwane) is not and was never a wife of the deceased Victor Musawenkhosi Shabangu.”

The matter has been dragging in court since June last year.
When the matter first appeared in court, Judge Magagula ordered that Victor’s body should be buried at Moneni, but his mother filed an appeal within minutes of the ruling.  The Supreme Court referred the matter back to the High Court for additional evidence to be adduced.
Supreme Court Judge Majahenkhaba Dlamini, Judge Jacobus Annandale and Judge Stanley Maphalala also ordered that the appeal that was filed by Victor’s mother be deemed to be abandoned.

Zwane, who is represented by Thabiso Mavuso of MotsaMavuso Attorneys, also wanted to be granted burial rights of the deceased.

Married

She further alleged that she got married to Victor in 2014 in terms of Swazi Law and Custom. Zwane stated that Victor paid a herd of six cattle as lobola on September 6, 2016.

She said the marriage was not registered until Victor died on June 16, 2018.
She mentioned that the marriage was registered posthumously during the preparations of the funeral.

She alleged that Victor did not inform her about his previous marriage to Nomvuyo Kunene.
Zwane said her husband informed her that Kunene left him in 2005, and in 2014, she allegedly returned the spear, lump of red ochre, and a cow, among other things, to his family.

Cleansed

This, she said, meant that Kunene had been cleansed of the red ochre she was smeared with.
Zwane stated that this was a clear indication that Kunene wanted nothing to do with the marriage.
She claimed to have stood by Victor throughout his illness until he met his death in June 2018.

She said while Victor was ill, they struggled because at the time, they were both unemployed.
She said due to the body of her husband being in the morgue for up to four months, she was the one who suffered the most.

Proceedings

In her application before court, Zwane also applied that she be joined as party to the proceedings and the Supreme Court granted her prayer.
The matter was heard by Judge Majahenkhaba, sitting with Judge Annandale and Judge Maphalala.

Zwane further stated that her mother-in-law informed her about the court proceedings while “I was under the blanket (phase ngubo).”
Mxolisi Dlamini of Robinson Bertram represents Nsibande while Pitoli and Victor’s wife, Nomvuyo, are represented by Hlabangani.

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