When Love Turns To Legacy, The Secret Pacts Between Spouses

Marriage, life and legacy

By Shingirai Vambe

Born in a family of 10, Tonderai not his real name is from the second marriage where he was born after his late sister and a young brother who was not of the same father, a secret that came out years after both parents had died.

Tonderai’s father, Fungai, not his real name had 6 children, 4 girls and 2 boys who are both deceased and all the 4 girls are still alive. When Fungai decided to separate with his first wife, he customarily married Tonderai’s mother, Tariro, not her real name, who had her own daughter from her first marriage where she was legally married.

Tariro and Fungai had their first child, a girl who died at the age of five when Tonde was just a year old.

As both Tariro and Fungai were of age, Tariro was younger and still had the energy to have kids, decided to get into a relationship outside her marriage and got pregnant and gave birth to a baby boy, kudzanai, not his real name, which Fungai thought was his. Tonderai and Kudzanai grew up together with their mother, Tariro and her daughter, Charity, not her real name.

During the colonial era, the government of Rhodesia gave those legally married houses, Tariro in her first marriage had a house which after the death of her first husband, decided to give the second wife and her children shelter while harmonizing the relationship of her daughter and her siblings, legally the property left, was Charity’s, as a beneficiary of the legal marriage between her father and mother.

Fungai in his first marriage, had a House which he later gave to his youngest son from the first marriage, who he was staying with in his second matrimonial home being taken care of by Tariro together with his other siblings.

Tariro and Fungai built another house together which they decided to give to Tonderai while staying at another house which they were in the process of buying in the affluent suburb of Harare. Knowing that Fungai had separated with his first wife, all the 5 children from his first marriage were against his idea and move, the kids fought in their mother’s corner. Fungai’s elder son became bitter after the father gave his younger brother one of the houses.

During his ill-time, Fungai and his eldest son had an altercation over his properties and why he was not being considered in the legacy of his father, as he was staying in the same house which the father had given to his youngest son from his first marriage, elder brother to Tonderai, yet he was staying in that house.

Before time, before the completion of the house which Fungai and Tariro were building for Tonde, Fungai died after a long illness.

The Elder brother decided to join forces with his mother and sisters and used the legal marriage certificate, took the unfinished house and changed names. Since Tariro was not legally but customarily married, she had limited powers to stop the process and changes which Fungai’s elder son and her mother had done.

Tariro was bitter as she sacrificed all her resources towards that house and at some point, stayed there when construction of the house was being done.

After burial and other traditional process, Tariro was approached by the company which Fungai was working for, and asked if she was able to continue paying for the house in the suburbs? She said she couldn’t afford and decided to take another offer which was way less that the required amount of money for the one they were occupying. Tariro moved with her 3 kids, all from different fathers and stayed and the new house. As the remaining spouse, Tariro became the owner of the new house and it was registered in her name and included her 3 children as beneficiaries of the property which she got from Fungai, Tonderai’s father.

Nature took its course, Tariro died when Tonderai and Kudzanai where still young, at the age of 15 and 10.

She died a bitter woman.

Tonderai’s sister Charity was then married she helped to make sure that the other house which Tariro got, was paid was secured. Forgetting that she was a sole beneficiary of the house which her mother and father got, Charity involved herself more as a beneficiary of this other house left by Fungai and wanted to take complete control until Tonderai and Kudzanai decided to dispose this house as all were the listed beneficiaries of the property.

After selling the house, the 3 parted ways. Fungai’s relatives kept in mind that Tonderai was a benefactor of the house, they never tried to find out, help or settle family issues in Fungai’s polygamous marriage. Tonderai lost the second legacy from his father. The question is, should Tonderai cry and parade his loses and challenges with relatives?

After following events and issues around the death of the legend, Oliver Mtukudzi, is it Oliver who built the legacy that everyone now wants to enjoy or it’s his wife Daisy, why did he write his will giving Daisy a complete control of his legacy?

Who knew Tuku before meeting Daisy and soon after as well as years after their marriage, did it become a better marriage for both or the worst, did the children manage to accept the fact that their father had moved on and gave his new fiancé the respect she deserved, knowing the common traits under such circumstances.

Was Selmar ever barred from visiting or using any of the facilities that his father and Daisy had built, how is the relationship between Daisy and her siblings. Has she tried to engage and reached a deadlock? Yes over 18 years of age but can she be a child for once?

A million-dollar question, who organized the concert in respect of the late Tuku, which has given people mixed feeling and reactions about once the greatest man and legend in the music industry, how does the society judge?

Very few women have managed to keep and extend their love to the kids they find with their new partners, in most cases are squabbles and fights because she is not my mother and she is not my son or daughter.

Tonderai’s elder brother got a house from his father Fungai, who knows, maybe he was disciplined and a listening child. Now Tonde is a grown up child, married and working, should he keep looking and pursuing his parents properties and legacy?