After a battle that lasted for nearly seven months, the remains of the victim in the infamous 'hand ritual murder case', Rumbidzai Mayere (38), were finally released from the police mortuary and handed to the family for burial.

Her remains were buried at Tshikota Cemetery on Sunday morning.

The deceased reportedly went missing around 22 March. Two weeks later, Azwitamisi Freddy Tshikhudo (38) made headlines when he was allegedly found with a human hand at a café in Eltivillas in Makhado. He eventually led the police to some bushes, where a decomposing female body was discovered without the right hand.

The police later revealed that the murdered woman was Rumbidzai Mayere.

During the funeral service held at the Tshikota Community Hall, William Mayere (36), the deceased's only sibling, rose to give an obituary but was soon overwhelmed by emotions. He wept bitterly and other mourners helped him sit down again, so that he could first regain his composure.

“Rumbi and I were like twin siblings; both our parents died when we were still young,” he finally managed to speak tearfully. “My sister and I shared our problems as well. As the Mayere family in Zimbabwe, we are still failing to come to terms with her merciless murder.”

William said that the family had decided to bury Rumbidzai's remains in South Africa because some of her body parts, such as the eyes and private parts, were still missing. “Our feeling is based on our culture and tradition as Africans,” he said. “We can't bury half her body in Zimbabwe while her other parts are still in the hands of ritual murderers in South Africa. She has to be in one place.”

Most relatives of the deceased couldn't attend the funeral because they had no travel documents ready. Rumbidzai's only child, Blessing (21), couldn't come either as she had a baby last Wednesday.

Ms Evelyn Munyanyiwa, Fatima Chindara and the deceased's landlord, David Netsianda, described Rumbidzai as a respectful, loving and kind 'child' who was also ready to confide in the next person whenever she experienced problems. “We have lost a child who never caused problem to anybody,” said Munyanyiwa, who accommodated the deceased at her place for some time.

Members of the Kubatana (Unity) Organisation carried the deceased's coffin as the mourners sang sombre songs in Shona.

At the cemetery, two members of Kubatana jumped into the grave and stood at two ends, while other members lifted the coffin into the grave and the first two men accepted it from inside the grave to place the coffin on the gravel basement.

Tshikhudo will appear again in the Louis Trichardt Magistrate's Court on 17 January.