Gumbura succumbed to COVID-19 in August this year after
serving less than five years of his 40-year prison term for raping several
female congregants.
The late cleric was serving his jail sentence at Chikurubi
Maximum Security Prison, where he died, leaving behind a vast empire.
The issue pertaining to distribution of his estate was
heard by Assistant Master of the High Court only named as Hamandishe, who was
told that Gumbura’s 17 widows who were represented by Lovemore Madhuku were in
favour of their nephew Chivimbiso Thomas Nyathi as the executor of the estate,
while other family members that include the cleric’s brothers and sisters were
allegedly in favour of Gumbura’s young brother, Innocent.
Gumbura’s widows appeared in court all dressed in black
outfits and dark sunglasses.
They remained calm during the proceedings, while their
aunties and the late Gumbura’s brothers spoke in high-pitched voices during the
hearing.
Some of Gumbura’s children also came in solidarity with
their mothers, and they supported their mothers’ choice of Nyathi as the
executor of the estate.
Madhuku said the issue of who would be the executor had
caused the hearing to take long to conclude.
“All the wives chose Gumbura’s 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. But
the master was very clear that the court has to take into account the views of
potential beneficiaries,” Madhuku said.
He added that the next step was for Gumbura’s nephew to be
formally appointed as executor of the estate before an advert of the late
cleric’s estate will be published to enable debtors and creditors to come
forth.
Gumbura’s brother insisted that he was the rightful
executor since he played the role of father to the late pastor’s children.
He said he was the one who represented the children during
the time his brother was in custody, in marriage ceremonies, and in all
processes that required someone to play the father figure.
But Hamandishe told Innocent that the appointment of
another executor did not necessarily mean that he would be stripped of his
fatherly role.
Madhuku also applauded Gumbura’s official widow for
accommodating her co-widows despite the fact that she was the only one who
formally wedded the late convict.
Apart from the 17 widows, Gumbura left behind 34 children,
an estate comprising a compound that includes a central home, multiple
surrounding cottages and a church building.
Gumbura also had 11 houses, a farm, mine and a fleet of 20
vehicles.
He also left behind 18 minor children, with the youngest
one aged seven.
He was initially slapped with a 50-year jail term, but 10
years were set aside on condition of good behaviour.
Gumbura was also convicted for possession of pornographic
material.
At the time of his death, he was facing another charge of
trying to break out of Chikurubi Maximum Security Prison. Newsday
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