8 - The role of the mukowa in inheritance

Summary

The division of the deceased's estate among his basimukowa is the last stage of the mourning ceremony. If the ceremony starts on a Saturday night, the division of the estate takes place on the Monday morning, when all the movable property of the deceased is assembled in front of his house. Until then the spouse or the son of the deceased acts as the guardian of the property. The guardian always has to be present at the division of the deceased's estate for he or she knows which cattle in the kraal belong to the deceased, to whom he has loaned cattle, and where he has claims on other people's property. Before the estate of a deceased man is divided, whichever of the deceased's basimukowa chaired the meeting for choosing the successor, and later played the prominent role in his installation, asks the widow, her children and possibly some of her near kin, about the debts of the deceased, his cattle, cash which was in the house when he died, and about the bridewealth received for his married daughters and the way in which it was disposed of. Inquiries are made as to whether all the things left behind by the deceased have been declared by the guardian of his property, whether the things assembled in front of his house represent all his personal and household effects, and whether any of them do not in fact belong to someone else.