BULAWAYO
–
Chief
Marupi’s
death
in
Harare
on
Sunday
has
triggered
a
feud
between
his
family
and
the
local
councillor
who
drove
him
to
the
capital,
allegedly
without
their
knowledge.
The
28-year-old
chief
from
Dibilashaba
in
Gwanda
South,
real
name
Oaheng
Nare,
died
at
Health
Point
Hospital
in
Harare
after
being
admitted
while
complaining
of
a
tummy
ache
and
vomiting.
His
death
came
just
two
weeks
after
armed
robbers
raided
his
rural
home
and
stole
his
official
Isuzu
vehicle.
He
was
unharmed
in
that
incident,
but
his
family
now
fears
the
robbery
and
his
death
so
soon
after
are
connected.
The
family’s
fury
has
been
directed
at
Mphathiswa
Ncube,
the
local
Zanu
PF
councillor
and
chairman
of
the
Gwanda
Rural
District
Council
who
was
the
last
person
to
see
the
chief
alive
after
driving
him
to
the
capital,
supposedly
to
seek
medical
treatment.
The
family
wonders
why
the
treatment
could
not
be
found
at
hospitals
in
Bulawayo.
Molisa
Nare,
a
local
headman
and
relative
of
the
late
chief,
said:
“We’re
still
in
a
state
of
confusion
about
his
death
because
before
he
is
taken
to
Harare
he
was
complaining
of
a
headache.
Now
we’re
being
told
in
Harare
he
had
an
upset
stomach.
“The
whole
thing
is
difficult
to
understand.
We
hope
the
postmortem
will
shed
some
light.”
Angelina
Marupi
Moyo,
the
late
chief’s
aunt,
said
Chief
Marupi’s
trip
to
Harare
was
shrouded
in
mystery.
She
told
local
community
radio
station
Ntepe-Manama
FM:
“His
departure
from
home
for
Harare
is
something
we’re
still
trying
to
understand.
Another
thing
is
that
we
knew
him
to
be
having
a
headache
and
the
new
narrative
from
the
hospital
that
he
was
vomiting
and
had
a
runny
tummy
adds
to
our
confusion.
“We’re
in
pain
over
what
has
befallen
us.”
Ncube
told
ZimLive
he
would
have
something
to
say
only
after
the
burial.
“I’m
sorry,
for
now
I’m
not
in
a
position
to
comment.
I
will
comment
after
the
burial,”
he
said.
The
chief’s
body
was
expected
to
leave
Harare
on
Friday
with
burial
likely
on
Sunday,
family
spokesman
Chris
Marupi
said.
A
family
source
told
ZimLive
that
they
were
also
curious
over
the
role
of
President
Emmerson
Mnangagwa’s
son-in-law,
the
lawyer
Gerald
Mlotshwa,
in
the
chief’s
trip
to
Harare.
The
source
said:
“We
understand
he
paid
everything,
including
the
hospital
bill.
The
question
is
why?”
Mlotshwa
is
reported
to
have
met
the
chief
several
times
in
recent
months
while
seeking
his
signature
in
his
bid
to
take-over
the
safari
section
of
the
55,000-hectare
Doddieburn
Ranch,
which
is
in
Chief
Marupi’s
jurisdiction.
Cecilia
Bhebhe,
the
owner
of
Motsamai
lodges,
currently
holds
the
lease
for
the
ranch.
Questions
left
for
Mlotshwa
had
not
been
answered.
Chief
Marupi,
one
of
the
youngest
traditional
leaders
in
the
country
at
the
time
of
his
death,
was
“receptive
to
advice
and
humble,”
according
to
stand-in
chief
of
the
nearby
Garanyemba
chieftaincy
Jefrey
Ndlovu-Nhlamba.
“He
prioritised
traditional
cultural
practices
as
his
role
demanded.
As
the
people
of
Gwanda,
we
have
all
been
robbed
of
a
good
man
who
had
no
quarrel
with
anyone,”
Ndlovu-Nhlamba
said.