Chief Chamutsa bans alcohol at funerals
Chief Chamutsa of Buhera District has banned the consumption, sale and distribution of alcohol at funerals within his jurisdiction, saying drunken behaviour is undermining the dignity of the dead and fuelling conflicts among mourners.
Chief Tinotenda Garepi Mavhurudza, who assumed the chieftainship on April 7, 2026, announced the new regulation through headmen and village heads across his jurisdiction.
The “By-law for Buhera for Respect of Funeral Proceedings”, issued on August 6, will initially be used as a three-week warning and education period before penalties come into effect on August 27, 2026.
Under the new regulation, alcohol consumption at a bereaved family’s homestead or at a gravesite is prohibited. Bringing, selling or distributing alcohol and other intoxicating substances at a funeral is also banned.
The regulation further prohibits fighting, insulting others and disrupting prayers or eulogies.
Alcohol will not be permitted at a funeral until the deceased has been buried.
Bereaved families are expected to ensure that no alcohol is brought onto their premises, while headmen and village heads have been tasked with monitoring funerals, educating mourners and reporting violations.
Anyone found in possession of alcohol at a funeral will face a US$30 fine or surrender a goat, while those found fighting or disrupting funeral proceedings will face a court fee and a US$50 fine.
The traditional court said the measures were introduced following repeated incidents of disorder and disrespect at funerals.
“We are deeply concerned and disturbed by repeated acts of disrespect and disorder during funerals in our area,” the by-law states.
“It is against this background that we are enacting this new by-law to preserve the dignity of the deceased, restore respect for funerals, allow the bereaved to be consoled in peace, and maintain general peace in the community.”
The chief said the regulation was intended to restore cultural values surrounding respect for the dead, prevent fighting and quarrelling, and promote peaceful burials.
Chief Chamutsa confirmed the by-law after it went viral on social media, saying the situation at some funerals had become unacceptable.
He cited a recent incident in which a family member allegedly went on a drinking binge with friends and returned while the burial was already underway.
According to the chief, the man, allegedly under the influence of alcohol, demanded that the people burying the deceased exhume the body and dig another grave because he disagreed with the chosen burial site.
“He was so violent that a new grave had to be dug close to the same area where the other grave had already been dug. Such conduct is unacceptable,” Chief Chamutsa said.
Acting Manicaland Provincial Director for Local Government Services and Administration, John Misi, said he could not comment because his office had not been officially informed about the development.
“It is difficult to comment since we are not officially privy to what is happening,” Misi said.
Legal expert Passmore Nyakureba, a partner at Maunga Maanda and Associates, said traditional leaders could regulate alcohol consumption at funerals as part of local cultural practices.
“Yes, he can do that. There may be different reasons for that. In some areas people do not consume alcohol during funerals, while in others they do. So it all depends on the regulations in a given area. At the end of the day, it is a cultural issue,” Nyakureba said.
The new rules will be enforced from August 27, with traditional leaders warning that violations will attract the prescribed penalties. *_-Manica Post_*
