Mutare, Zimbabwe | Zimbabwe’s leading funeral service provider, Nyaradzo Funeral Services, is under heavy fire for a staggering lapse in professional standards following a gruesome body mix-up that saw a Chipinge family bury a total stranger.
The incident, which has sent shockwaves through the Manicaland province, highlights a disturbing breakdown in the rigorous “service of quality” the brand often promises. In a display of what critics are calling gross negligence, Nyaradzo staff allegedly ignored direct warnings from grieving relatives, choosing instead to “gaslight” the family into proceeding with a wrong burial.
Red Flags Ignored: A Failure of Duty
The ordeal began when the Muzwati family arrived to collect the remains of Nerita Muyambo (85), who passed away on December 31, 2025. During the body viewing, alert relatives immediately noticed that the woman in the casket did not resemble their matriarch, specifically pointing out discrepancies in the deceased’s complexion.
Instead of halting the process to verify identification tags—a standard professional protocol—Nyaradzo staff reportedly dismissed these concerns. In a move that has been described as deeply unprofessional, the funeral parlour employees allegedly attributed the physical differences to mortuary cosmetology and the effects of prolonged freezer storage.
Relying on the “expertise” of the professionals, the family proceeded to Checheche graveyard, where they buried Eddina Gwavava (100), a centenarian from Mutare, under the mistaken belief she was their relative.
The Gruesome Discovery
The blunder only came to light the following Saturday at Nyaradzo’s Mutare branch. The family of the late Mbuya Gwavava, upon being presented with the body of the 85-year-old Mbuya Muyambo, refused to accept the remains, forcing the parlour to admit to the catastrophic error.
The aftermath has left two families in a state of double-trauma:
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The Muzwati Family: Forced to witness the exhumation of a stranger from their family plot.
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The Gwavava Family: Denied the dignity of a timely and correct burial for their centenarian matriarch.
ZiMetro News Analysis: Where Was the Oversight?
This incident raises uncomfortable questions about the internal culture at Nyaradzo. Professionalism in the funeral industry is built on the Chain of Custody. For a body to be misidentified, loaded into a hearse by a mortician, and then buried despite family objections suggests a systemic failure of leadership and oversight at the Mutare branch.
When reached for comment by the press, Nyaradzo Regional Manager Dereck Ndebele declined to offer an explanation or an apology, further fueling public anger over the company’s perceived lack of accountability.
Legal and Traditional Consequences
Chipinge District Development Coordinator William Mashava has confirmed that exhumation procedures are currently underway. However, the damage to the brand’s reputation may be permanent. Beyond the legal hurdles, the families are now faced with the traditional burden of performing cleansing ceremonies—costs and emotional tolls that stem entirely from a professional oversight.
In an industry where you only get one chance to say a final goodbye, Nyaradzo’s failure to listen to its clients has turned a moment of mourning into a nightmare of bureaucratic and spiritual proportions.
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