The burial of slain 7-year-old Murehwa boy Tapiwa Makore did not take place as scheduled over the weekend and has since been postponed indefinitely.

Tapiwa, a victim of a suspected ritual murder, was killed in September last year and was set to be buried on Saturday 9 January.

However, family spokesperson Beaula Musupayi told ZTN that the coming in of stiffened lockdown measures informed their decision to postpone the burial.

“The recently pronounced lockdown has forced us to postpone the burial,” she said.

“Some of our relatives could not travel due to Covid-19 so we have decided to put the burial on hold. They want to pay their last respects and we cannot deny them a chance to do so.”

But a storm is brewing in the Makore household with some family members having been declared persona non gratae.

Tapiwa was allegedly murdered by his uncle and namesakes’ Tapiwa Makore Senior, herd boy Tafadzwa Shamba after they had allegedly been promised USD$1500 by Tapiwa senior’s twin brother, Thanks Makore. And Musupayi declared: “Thanks and Tapiwa’s families are not welcome.

The situation is not as we all wanted as such these people must stay away from the proceedings, we don’t want to see them.”

-State Media