No winner in the Moana death fight. After an escalation of the feud between the late Michelle “Moana” Amuli’s parents, they seem to be finding each other again with the realisation that there are no winners in death.

Despite Moana’s father, Ishmael Amuli winning a High Court case on the burial process following an urgent application for an interdict by her mother, Yolanda Kuvaoga, both families believe the long-term goal should be peace. There was a time it looked like anti-riot police would be needed at the burial, but the hostilities eased leading to an incident-free ceremony at Warren Hills on Saturday afternoon.

Yesterday representatives from Moana’s maternal and paternal families visited her grave for respective rituals and afterwards gathered in Highfield.

Speaking on behalf of the Kuvaogas, Moana’s uncle, Austin Chimedza said: “There are no winners, we both (familes) lost a child. Whatever happened at the High Court we cannot say there was a winner in as far as life is concerned. It would be wrong for anyone to look at that and prescribe one side to have won.

“The bottom line is a child died and that’s a loss to both parents. We had actually agreed (ahead of High Court ruling) that everything that we would be doing with regards Moana we would be doing it as the fathers and mothers.”

He also revealed that both the Kuvaogas and Amulis have no business fighting over Moana’s daughter, as her father is alive. “The father is alive and has always been in touch with the child and so there shouldn’t be a problem of custody between the maternal grandparents.”

The Amuli family spokesman, Yussuf Binali said: “I would want to appreciate the prevailing peace, we want to say the families should keep up the reasonable thinking which will lead us to a better place tomorrow for the families to be able to live together happily again.

No Winner In The Michelle “Moana” Amuli Death Fight!

“When we meet each other at an event we should not be looking sideways but be able to greet each other and have happy moments. We lost our beloved daughter but that should not break any family ties, it should bring us together instead.” Meanwhile, head of the Zimbabwe Supreme Council of the Islamic Affairs, Sheik Ishmael Duwa also said Ishmael Amuli, who is their member, would not be celebrating, as there are no winners/losers on death matters.

Speaking soon after Friday’s High Court ruling, he said: “In the interest of all, I would like to inform people that Mr Amuli’s win, is not a win, we don’t win at a funeral, and we don’t lose at a funeral.

“What we are going to encourage them is to find each other and we will make sure that the mother on all the proceedings which are required by women, she is there.

“We will make sure that Amuli and former wife work together and we are going to bury according to Islamic way but involving the woman as usual.” He also assured the Kuvaoga relatives and Moana’s female friends that they would be allowed to participate in the burial process.

“As I have stated that, the only time, women are not required when we are lowering the body but all other proceedings, because if she is a woman, everything is done by women. It is a Muslim burial and a Muslim will be leading the proceedings but everyone is allowed to participate and, as such, the relatives (Kuvaogas) will be there.”

They were even willing to let the media observe some of the process considered shrouded in secrecy.

“We are even encouraging, if you find one woman journalist to enter to see everything that goes on at the mortuary, including cleaning the body. She can write, we are open to you people so that we tell exactly what we do although we will not allow them to take pictures of the face of the body.”

Source: H-Metro