During the early years of the HIV and Aids era, there were widespread myths and misconceptions about how to handle the bodies of people who died from Aids-related illnesses.
As a result, many were subjected to deeply dishonourable burials.
Some were placed in body bags, wrapped in blankets or simply buried in hastily dug graves, with little of the dignity normally accorded to the dead.
It was as if they were being treated as vermin or unwanted objects rather than human beings who had lived, loved and contributed to their families and communities.
Many of those who died during that period had spent their final days in great agony, pain, embarrassment, rejection and humiliation before their demise. Tragically, some endured rejection even in death.
Today, as we tour cemeteries and graveyards, some of the polished, beautiful graves bearing inscriptions expressing great love and affection belong to people who died under extremely dehumanising circumstances.
They were denied dignity in their final days and, in some cases, were given dishonourable burials, only to receive the love and recognition they deserved posthumously.
A new revolution, however, appears to be unfolding in Zimbabwe and beyond — a reawakening of the need to give the dead their due respect, irrespective of how they died.
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Over the past two or three years, there has been a noticeable increase in families coming together to honour their departed relatives by cleaning their graves, holding memorial services and erecting tombstones.
I believe this is a commendable development that deserves to be applauded and embraced.
A dishonourable burial is painful not only for the family but also for the memory of the deceased.
Our schools and other learning institutions should therefore take time to teach young people about the importance of respecting the dead and giving them dignified burials.
The growing wave of magadziro and tombstone memorials is also helping to restore dignity to those who died during the HIV and Aids epidemic and were subjected to dishonourable burials. Their graves are being cleaned, renovated and beautified, while families are once again visiting and remembering them.
Across Zimbabwe, families are setting aside specific days to visit the graves of their relatives. These occasions provide opportunities not only to clean and maintain graves but also to reconnect with family histories and make peace with the past.
It is never too late to make peace with our departed loved ones. In some cases, people may have been bitter towards relatives when they died or may have treated them badly during their illness.
The passage of time, however, can provide an opportunity for reflection, reconciliation and remembrance.
Social media has also played an important role in drawing public attention to the neglected graves of some of Zimbabwe’s celebrities.
Many of these personalities died during the HIV and Aids era, and their graves have sometimes been found in deplorable conditions.
Fortunately, public attention has, in some cases, prompted families, fans and communities to restore and maintain these resting places.
Many people who died from Aids-related illnesses left behind considerable wealth and legacies for their families.
Yet some were mistreated when they became seriously ill and were denied the dignity they deserved at death.
Our departed relatives deserve respectful graves, ladies and gentlemen, regardless of what killed them or the circumstances surrounding their deaths.
The growing enthusiasm for magadziro, memorial services and tombstone erection is ushering in a new way of viewing and remembering our dead. It is a cultural development that deserves to be followed with interest and encouraged.
For too long, some of our dead and their graves have been viewed with fear, neglect or even disdain, partly because of certain interpretations influenced by Christianity.
Yet, while we may be Christians in our religious beliefs, we remain Africans with a rich cultural heritage and traditions that place great importance on remembering and respecting those who came before us.
Perhaps the renewed interest in magadziro and tombstones is reminding us of something fundamental: death should never erase a person’s dignity, and burial should never be the final act of rejection.
Let us therefore continue to remember our departed with love, dignity and respect. It is never too late to honour those who came before us.
