Harare - Relatives of a 22-year-old woman who died after she was assaulted by her husband reportedly demanded eight heads of cattle as compensation for unpaid lobola at the cemetery where they had gathered to bury her.
The drama unfolded on Monday at Zororo Memorial Park in Harare, Zimbabwe.
The young woman was allegedly attacked with a pot by her husband during a domestic dispute on March 14, when she refused to leave their home.
According to Zimbabwe national police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Nyathi, the 44-year-old suspect also used his fists to beat the woman.
She received treatment at the Sally Mugabe Hospital in Harare and returned home. Unfortunately her condition deteriorated and she subsequently died on March 19.
The husband is believed to have left a note in her wardrobe which explained what had transpired during the argument. Her sister-in-law, who was packing her clothes, saw the note and shared the news with both families.
Before the funeral, the husband reportedly paid part of the lobola, but her family has demanded that the outstanding lobola be paid before they would collect her clothing from her in-laws.
* In some cultures, the clothing of a deceased woman is handed back to her family to be distributed and holding onto the items for a protracted period may be considered bad luck.
iHarare and IOL