HIGH COURT STOPS MVUMENI’S BURIAL AT MPOLONJENI

MBABANE – Drama. This is what describes the confusion surrounding the funeral of former Mbabane Highlanders’ doctor Mvumeni Khumalo who was reported to have succumbed to death following a short illness in the wee hours of Tuesday morning. 

It was initially announced that he would be buried at Mpolonjeni last Friday (January 1, 2021) as per the wishes of one of his wives. The High Court of Eswatini, however, issued an order stopping the burial of ‘Gugudzumholo’, as Khumalo was fondly known by his peers at Mpolonjeni.

second wife

The court order came after the deceased’s uncle Robert Mazemvula Khumalo and the second applicant Abednigo Jojo Dlamini moved an urgent application against his second wife Thabisile Khumalo nee Ncongwane who wanted her husband to be buried at Mpolonjeni.

In court papers filed by Dlamini/Kunene Attorneys on behalf of the applicants before Principal Judge Qinisile Mabuza, it was alleged that the relevant relatives and stakeholders to the issue of burial of the deceased had not been consulted before Thabisile (second wife) took the decision to bury the deceased’s body at Mpolonjeni in Mbabane in the Hhohho Region.

It was further alleged that the Elders of the Khumalo family had the sole right to determine the burial place and date according to Swazi Law and Custom and this right had been wrongly exercised by Thabsile in the exclusion of the Khumalo family.

As a result, the court issued the order prohibiting, interdicting and restraining the first respondents or anyone working on her instruction, command or agency from interfering with the burial arrangements of Khumalo.

The respondent was further ordered against making unilateral decisions regarding the manner, place, date and time of burial of the deceased. This includes making public announcements and notifications regarding the place, date and time of the burial of the deceased.

She was also compelled to surrender the death certificate and other official documents of the deceased to the applicants and to any other burial policy holder forthwith as and when a need arise to enable to lodgement of a burial policy claim with insurers.

discuss the arrangements

The court also ordered the postponement of Khumalo’s funeral pending the meeting of all family members, relatives and stakeholders according to Swazi law and Custom to discuss the arrangements of the burial of the deceased

The second respondent was interdicted from releasing the body of the Khumalo to the respondents pending finalisation of the application. 

However, information gathered yesterday evening was that an agreement had allegedly been reached by the family to bury Khumalo at Mayiwane this morning. Unfortunately, this could not be ascertained at the time of compiling this report last night even though the funeral was announced on national radio yesterday afternoon that it would be at Mayiwane.

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