AFTER washing their dirty linen in public and a feud that ended up at the High Court, delaying the burial of the late fitness trainer and video vixen Michelle “Moana” Amuli , her parents appear to have come to a truce as she was finally laid to rest on Saturday at Warren Hills Cemetery in Harare.
Moana died in a horrific accident that also claimed the lives of socialite Genius “Ginimbi” Kadungure, Malawian businessman Limumba Karim and Mozambican model Alichia Adams on November 8.
The quartet was heading to Ginimbi’s mansion in Domboshava coming from Moana’s 26th birthday party at Ginimbi’s Dreams Club in Harare’s Avenues area.
While Moana’s burial was primarily delayed because of DNA tests that had to be conducted to ascertain her remains as she was burnt beyond recognition in the crash, it was further delayed as her estranged parents mother Yolanda Kuvaoga and father Ishmael Amuli differed on where, when and how she would be buried.
Drama, confusion and controversy had become the hallmarks of Moana’s burial that needed a High Court ruling by Judge Justice Pisirayi Kwenda who ruled in favour of the deceased’s father on Friday with the burial taking place the following day.
Before he delivered the ruling, granting Amuli the right to bury her daughter in accordance with his Muslim rites, Kwenda had deferred the judgment in the matter twice.
Moana’s mother, represented by lawyer Jerome Madondo, had made an urgent chamber application at the High Court to nullify the burial order and stop her estranged husband, who was being represented by Marcus Zvirahwa, from reneging on their prior agreement that Moana would be buried at Zororo Cemetery along the Harare-Chitungwiza road.
In her speech at the mosque, Moana’s maternal uncle Austin Chimedza said they had ironed out their differences.
“We just attended court to fulfil the process, but we had agreed to put all misunderstandings aside and give her (Moana) a dignified send-off,” he said.
himedza said they had learnt a lot throughout the process.
“We have learnt something in terms of the culture and everything that happens in the Muslim community. We were not sceptical about how everything would be done, but it was a fear of the unknown. Now we have been told how it works and shown that there is nothing to worry about,” he said.
The Amuli family’s spokesperson Yussuf Binali echoed the same sentiments as he made it clear that the family altercations were a closed chapter.
“We would also want to extend our gratitude to all families including our in-laws for joining hands with us in mourning our daughter up to this time,” he said.
“We have nothing to say as far as the burial and everything is concerned so we want to say whatever happened was according to God’s wishes.”
Moana’s mother’s neighbour identified as Mai Zuze said they had been relieved after close to three weeks of mourning of the late socialite who was survived by one child (girl).
“Moana’s funeral has made us strong so we are thankful that God has relieved us of the burden and we can sleep now because she will be buried. The community was in pain because of this funeral, people could not sleep because we were in mourning for weeks,” she said.
Meanwhile, family, friends and relatives closely followed the funeral proceedings from Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals to her mother’s home in Highfield before participation in funeral rites at a mosque in the same high-density suburb.
The body was taken to Warren Hills cemetery where it was buried in a Muslim section.
