Pastor Robert Martin Gumbura, from Zimbabwe, reportedly died in August from Covid-19 complications.
Before his death, the former leader of the RGM End Time Message church was serving a 40-year jail sentence (later reduced to 20 after an appeal) at the Chikurubi Maximum Security Prison for multiple counts of rape, iharare reports.
He left behind 17 wives and 34 children as well as an estate that includes: 11 houses, 20 vehicles, a farm and a mine.
During an edict meeting at the Master of the High Court’s offices to select an executor for his estate, Gumbura’s widows disagreed with his brothers and sisters over the choice of the executor.
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While the deceased’s relatives proposed his brother identified as Innocent, the 17 widows kicked against the choice and insisted that his nephew Chivimbiso Thomas Nyathi be selected as the executor of the will instead.
Lovemore Madhuku lawyer for the widows is quoted as saying: “All the wives chose his nephew Chivimbiso Thomas Nyathi but other relatives were totally against it. They wanted Gumbura’s brother, Innocent, to be the executor; that’s why the hearing took so long. The Master was very clear that the court has to take into account the views of potential beneficiaries.”
According to Gumbura’s relatives, Innocent was the suitable candidate to be the executor as he would play a father role over his late brother’s 34 children.
Their argument was however watered down by the Master of the High Court who told them that Innocent could still play his father role to his brother’s children even without being the executor.
An executor is responsible for identifying and collecting the assets of the estate, the safeguarding and investing of those assets pending distribution to beneficiaries, the payment of debts and liabilities owed by the estate, the filing of appropriate tax returns for the deceased and the estate, and ultimately the distribution of assets to beneficiaries under the provisions of the will or the law, according to iharare.