MUTARE — Two families have been left traumatised after a body mix-up at Nyaradzo Funeral Services in Mutare resulted in a Chipinge family burying the wrong person.
The Muzwati family unknowingly buried the body of Eddina Gwavava, 100, of Mutare, believing it to be that of their relative, Nerita Muyambo, 85, from Checheche, who died on Dec. 31, 2025, after a long illness.
The error occurred on New Year’s Day when a hearse driver and a mortician mistakenly collected the wrong body.
Relatives of Muyambo reportedly raised concerns over differences in the deceased’s appearance before the burial, but these were dismissed by funeral parlour staff. The burial went ahead at Checheche graveyard in Chipinge South.
The mix-up was discovered during a later body viewing at Nyaradzo’s Mutare branch, prompting police involvement.
Exhumation procedures are now underway, authorities said.
Nyaradzo Funeral Services declined to comment on the incident, which has raised questions about procedures at funeral service providers.
