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It's the holidays in Zimbabwe. Time to celebrate by unveiling a family tombstone

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It's the holidays in Zimbabwe. Time to celebrate by unveiling a family tombstone
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News

It's the holidays in Zimbabwe. Time to celebrate by unveiling a family tombstone

2024-12-23 12:06 Last Updated At:12:20

HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) — Chipo Benhure started saving early for a holiday season to remember in Zimbabwe, but it wasn’t for a party or vacation. The highlight is a graveyard ceremony to unveil her late mother’s tombstone.

The generations-old rite has come to be associated with long holidays such as Christmas in the southern African nation, where the weakened economy leaves many people struggling to do their duty of honoring the dead.

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A worker cleans a tombstone at a cemetary in Harare, Zimbabwe, Wednesday, Dec. 4 2024. (AP Photo/Aaron Ufumeli)

A worker cleans a tombstone at a cemetary in Harare, Zimbabwe, Wednesday, Dec. 4 2024. (AP Photo/Aaron Ufumeli)

People walk past tombstones at a cemetory in Harare, Zimbabwe, Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Aaron Ufumeli)

People walk past tombstones at a cemetory in Harare, Zimbabwe, Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Aaron Ufumeli)

A worker cleans a tombstone at a cemetary in Harare, Zimbabwe, Wednesday, Dec. 4 2024. (AP Photo/Aaron Ufumeli)

A worker cleans a tombstone at a cemetary in Harare, Zimbabwe, Wednesday, Dec. 4 2024. (AP Photo/Aaron Ufumeli)

Friends and relatives of the Ziwangwe family, during the unveiling of the tombstone of late Kindness Ziwangwe at a cemetary in Harare, Zimbabwe, Saturday, Dec 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Aaron Ufumeli)

Friends and relatives of the Ziwangwe family, during the unveiling of the tombstone of late Kindness Ziwangwe at a cemetary in Harare, Zimbabwe, Saturday, Dec 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Aaron Ufumeli)

Friends and relatives of the Ziwangwe family, during the unveiling of the tombstone of late Kindness Ziwangwe at a cemetary in Harare, Zimbabwe, Saturday, Dec 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Aaron Ufumeli)

Friends and relatives of the Ziwangwe family, during the unveiling of the tombstone of late Kindness Ziwangwe at a cemetary in Harare, Zimbabwe, Saturday, Dec 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Aaron Ufumeli)

Friends and relatives of the Ziwangwe family, during the unveiling of the tombstone of late Kindness Ziwangwe at a cemetary in Harare, Zimbabwe, Saturday, Dec 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Aaron Ufumeli)

Friends and relatives of the Ziwangwe family, during the unveiling of the tombstone of late Kindness Ziwangwe at a cemetary in Harare, Zimbabwe, Saturday, Dec 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Aaron Ufumeli)

“I didn’t want to be found wanting come Christmastime, so I was putting aside a few dollars each month,” Benhure said, standing at a crowded and dusty ground on the outskirts of the capital, Harare. Workers used grinders and stone polishers to make tombstones. Others chiseled detailed portraits, referring to photos shared by loved ones.

Soon, a $450 black granite tombstone was added to the flower bouquets and sacks of groceries as Benhure and about a dozen relatives squashed together in a minibus traveling to their rural home for the ceremony. The cost represented more than twice the average monthly income for an urban household in Zimbabwe, which is about $200.

Zimbabweans traditionally use long holidays such as the Christmas season to hold often joyous graveyard rites that include song, dance, Christian prayers or invitations for ancestral spirits to protect and guide the living.

Many believe such ceremonies can bring blessings — but neglect them too long and a curse could result. Until the ceremonies, graves are marked by simple metal signs or nothing at all.

In Zimbabwe's urban areas this holiday season, household yards and other open spaces have been turned into makeshift tombstone manufacturing zones by people trying to eke out a living.

Prices range from $150 to $2,500, and some people pay in installments. Delivery vans and trucks are on standby for hire.

One tombstone provider, Tafadzwa Machokoto, attended to a stream of customers and called this his busiest time of year. The computer science graduate now employs almost 10 people for making or marketing tombstones.

“Our customers take tombstone unveiling very seriously. They would rather spend on the ceremony than on a Christmas bash. They need the blessings,” he said.

Machokoto recalled a businessman who once ordered 11 tombstones because his transport venture was struggling. The businessman said he constantly had dreams of his late father instructing him to spruce up the family cemetery.

“It rained just after the ceremony and everyone took it as a sign that the ancestors were now happy," Machokoto said. “He even bought me a smartphone months later as a present, saying his business was now thriving.”

On a recent weekend at a cemetery on the outskirts of Harare, Zororo Memorial Park, several graves were covered with white cloth, ready for unveiling ceremonies.

The family of the late Kindness Ziwange said it had spent over $2,000 on the ceremony, including $900 for a tombstone. Afterward, close to 50 relatives, friends and neighbors feasted on fried potatoes, fried rice, grilled chicken, stewed beef and vegetable salad.

“We will lay low on Christmas Day. We already had our big day today as a family. Some traveled through the night for this event,” said a relative, Isabel Murindagomo.

While some in Zimbabwe regard the ceremony as an essentially Indigenous ritual associated with the ancestral cult and reactivation of the spirits, others view it as a Christian event to remember deceased relatives, said Ezra Chitando, a professor in the University of Zimbabwe’s religious studies department.

“The majority of people are hovering between the two positions. Some try to moderate by contributing financially to the process but do not attend the ceremony,” Chitando said, highlighting the religious complexity of local beliefs associated with the dead.

Although the majority of Zimbabweans profess to be Christian, experts say many combine the faith with traditional practices.

Benhure, with the tombstone for her late mother now in place, sees little difference in the end.

“Honoring the dead brings blessings to the living irrespective of one’s religion,” she said.

A worker cleans a tombstone at a cemetary in Harare, Zimbabwe, Wednesday, Dec. 4 2024. (AP Photo/Aaron Ufumeli)

A worker cleans a tombstone at a cemetary in Harare, Zimbabwe, Wednesday, Dec. 4 2024. (AP Photo/Aaron Ufumeli)

People walk past tombstones at a cemetory in Harare, Zimbabwe, Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Aaron Ufumeli)

People walk past tombstones at a cemetory in Harare, Zimbabwe, Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Aaron Ufumeli)

A worker cleans a tombstone at a cemetary in Harare, Zimbabwe, Wednesday, Dec. 4 2024. (AP Photo/Aaron Ufumeli)

A worker cleans a tombstone at a cemetary in Harare, Zimbabwe, Wednesday, Dec. 4 2024. (AP Photo/Aaron Ufumeli)

Friends and relatives of the Ziwangwe family, during the unveiling of the tombstone of late Kindness Ziwangwe at a cemetary in Harare, Zimbabwe, Saturday, Dec 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Aaron Ufumeli)

Friends and relatives of the Ziwangwe family, during the unveiling of the tombstone of late Kindness Ziwangwe at a cemetary in Harare, Zimbabwe, Saturday, Dec 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Aaron Ufumeli)

Friends and relatives of the Ziwangwe family, during the unveiling of the tombstone of late Kindness Ziwangwe at a cemetary in Harare, Zimbabwe, Saturday, Dec 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Aaron Ufumeli)

Friends and relatives of the Ziwangwe family, during the unveiling of the tombstone of late Kindness Ziwangwe at a cemetary in Harare, Zimbabwe, Saturday, Dec 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Aaron Ufumeli)

Friends and relatives of the Ziwangwe family, during the unveiling of the tombstone of late Kindness Ziwangwe at a cemetary in Harare, Zimbabwe, Saturday, Dec 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Aaron Ufumeli)

Friends and relatives of the Ziwangwe family, during the unveiling of the tombstone of late Kindness Ziwangwe at a cemetary in Harare, Zimbabwe, Saturday, Dec 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Aaron Ufumeli)

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Curry can only watch again as Warriors fade out of playoffs without injured star

2025-05-15 14:06 Last Updated At:14:11

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Golden State Warriors revealed a glimmer of hope before their elimination game in Minnesota with the announcement that Stephen Curry had been cleared for shooting drills and light on-court workouts, raising the possibility his strained left hamstring could heal in time for him to play in the series.

The Timberwolves quickly put an end to that, closing out the Western Conference semifinal series with a 121-110 victory Wednesday night.

All Curry could do was watch, the four-time NBA champion and league's career leading 3-point shooter relegated to wincing from the bench while the Wolves shredded an exhausted Warriors defense with 63% shooting.

The Warriors said earlier in the day that Curry was “making good progress” in his recovery from the injury suffered in the opener of the second-round series. With a three-day break before the scheduled Game 6, Curry would've have had extra time to heal, but his fourth consecutive absence was simply too much to overcome for this Warriors team that was already thin on consistent scoring.

“Injuries are part of the playoffs. I learned a long time ago the playoffs are really about health and then just guys stepping up and making some big shots, big plays in key games,” said coach Steve Kerr, who embraced veterans Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green on the court after the game. “That’s what decides every series. We’ve been on both ends of that. It’s just part of it, so there’s no sense in dwelling on it.”

The Warriors lost four straight games in the same postseason for the first time since 1972.

“We definitely missed Steph. That obviously goes without saying. But I’m not going to come up here and harp on Steph not being here, make it like their win is less than what it is," Green said. “They’re moving on. Congratulations to those guys. They beat us regardless.”

Curry’s first career hamstring strain, one of several injuries that have waylaid star players during these NBA playoffs, made it predictably harder for the Warriors to space their offense and generate scoring. They averaged 17 turnovers per game in the series and shot only 34% from 3-point range.

“A tremendous loss for Golden State, no doubt, a tremendous loss for the series. I’m sure it would’ve been quite different if Steph would’ve been able to play,” Wolves coach Chris Finch said. 'But our guys took care of business, and that’s not something that we’ve always done. I thought we had a bunch of business-like approaches in this series and took advantage of something that happened and made the best of it. We don’t need to apologize for it. We just went out and did it."

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA

Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry, middle, sits before Game 5 of an NBA basketball second-round playoff series against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Wednesday, May 14, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry, middle, sits before Game 5 of an NBA basketball second-round playoff series against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Wednesday, May 14, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

Golden State Warriors' Stephen Curry squints at the scoreboard in 2nd quarter against Minnesota Timberwolves in NBA Western Conference Semifinals' Game 5 at Target Center in Minneapolis on Wednesday, May 14, 2025. (Scott Strazzante/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)

Golden State Warriors' Stephen Curry squints at the scoreboard in 2nd quarter against Minnesota Timberwolves in NBA Western Conference Semifinals' Game 5 at Target Center in Minneapolis on Wednesday, May 14, 2025. (Scott Strazzante/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)

Golden State Warriors' Stephen Curry, right, and Buddy Hield react to a missed shot in the second half of Game 5 of an NBA basketball second-round playoff series, Wednesday, May 14, 2025, in Minneapolis. (Scott Strazzante/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)

Golden State Warriors' Stephen Curry, right, and Buddy Hield react to a missed shot in the second half of Game 5 of an NBA basketball second-round playoff series, Wednesday, May 14, 2025, in Minneapolis. (Scott Strazzante/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)

Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) looks on near the bench during the second half of Game 5 of an NBA basketball second-round playoff series against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Wednesday, May 14, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) looks on near the bench during the second half of Game 5 of an NBA basketball second-round playoff series against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Wednesday, May 14, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30), left, gestures after making a 3-point shot as Minnesota Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch, right, reacts during the first half of Game 1 of an NBA basketball second-round playoff series, Tuesday, May 6, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30), left, gestures after making a 3-point shot as Minnesota Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch, right, reacts during the first half of Game 1 of an NBA basketball second-round playoff series, Tuesday, May 6, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry, center, reacts from the bench during the first half of Game 4 in the Western Conference semifinals of the NBA basketball playoffs against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Monday, May 12, 2025, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Jed Jacobsohn)

Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry, center, reacts from the bench during the first half of Game 4 in the Western Conference semifinals of the NBA basketball playoffs against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Monday, May 12, 2025, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Jed Jacobsohn)

Golden State Warriors' Stephen Curry, center right, gestures to teammate Draymond Green that he is subbing in the first half of Game 3 of an NBA basketball second-round playoff series against the Minnesota Timberwolves in San Francisco, Saturday, May 10, 2025. (Carlos Avila Gonzalez/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)

Golden State Warriors' Stephen Curry, center right, gestures to teammate Draymond Green that he is subbing in the first half of Game 3 of an NBA basketball second-round playoff series against the Minnesota Timberwolves in San Francisco, Saturday, May 10, 2025. (Carlos Avila Gonzalez/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)

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