Tanzania: Body reburied after dispute between two families

Simanjiro. The body of Jackson Joseph, 29, which had been at the center of a dispute between two families, was reburied yesterday for a second time at the family cemetery in Msitu wa Tembo Village, Simanjiro District.

Jackson passed away on June 16, and his body was claimed by the family of Richard Shoo, 31, who buried it on June 25 in Kibosho Kindi village, believing it was the body of their son, Richard.

Later, Jackson’s family emerged and insisted the body was their son’s, leading them to seek court intervention. The court ordered the body to be exhumed for DNA testing to clarify the situation between the two families.

On September 4, the body was exhumed for DNA testing, and 57 days later, on November 1, the results confirmed that the body belonged to Jackson Joseph.

This left the Shoo family with unanswered questions about the whereabouts of their son, Richard, who they had believed had passed away and whose body they had buried.

Yesterday, November 11, the body was laid to rest in Msitu wa Tembo, where parish priest Dismas Mtenga urged the community to focus on proper child upbringing to nurture future leaders.

“It is the responsibility of parents to ensure they raise their children with good morals, integrity, and honesty, which are essential for creating good leaders in families and society,” he said.

“If a parent does not teach a child to differentiate between good and bad, the influence of negative peer groups could have a bad outcome. Ethical and moral upbringing is essential as it helps guide our lives,” he added.

He emphasized that "good and honest leaders come from the proper upbringing we give our children. If we fail in raising them, we cannot expect good leaders in our families or society because the foundation has already been flawed."

The priest also advised the youth to adhere to good morals and make savings to secure a prosperous future.

Lusinde Paulo, a friend of the deceased, expressed sorrow over the loss of a caring and generous friend who was always willing to help others.

“Jackson was my friend. We grew up together, played together, and lived as brothers. The last time I saw him was on June 14, but on June 16, I was informed of his passing. He was a man of peace, always willing to help, and I have lost a friend who assisted me in many ways.”

The Sequence of Events

After Jackson’s death on June 16, his body was claimed by Richard Shoo’s family, who believed it was their son and subsequently buried it in Kibosho Kindi on June 25. However, days later, Jackson’s family came forward, insisting the buried body was actually their son, who had been murdered on June 16. This claim created confusion and tension between the two families.

On September 1, police, led by the head of investigations from Moshi District, and accompanied by two doctors, went to the Shoo family for the exhumation, but the family resisted, claiming they had not been involved in the process and demanded to see a court order.

The police had to call for the court order, which they said had been left at the office, but the family insisted on viewing it, which caused the exhumation to be postponed.

On September 4, 2024, both families appeared in court, where an order was reissued for the exhumation and DNA testing to verify the identity of the body.

After exhuming the body, the police transported it to the mortuary at the Northern Regional Referral Hospital KCMC, where it was stored until the DNA results were released on November 1.

The results confirmed that the body was indeed that of Jackson Joseph, leaving the Shoo family still searching for their son, Richard Shoo.