[originaltext]Interviewer (M) Mrs. Elizabeth Mutwa (W)M: Welcome to our show.

Interviewer (M) Mrs. Elizabeth Mutwa (W)
M: Welcome to our show. Today we’re going to discuss some important questions about women and inheritance. For example, what happens to a woman when her husband dies, and who becomes the rightful owner of his property? Is there anything a woman can do to ensure that she receives the property? To help us answer these and other questions, we’ve invited a lawyer, Mrs. Elizabeth Mutwa, to join us. Welcome to the show! Mrs. Mutwa.
W: Thank you. It’s a pleasure to be here.
M: Mrs. Mutwa, let me start by asking you this. What are some of the concerns you have about women and the inheritance laws that affect them?
W: Every day I meet women whose husbands are dying. These women are afraid that they are going to lose everything—their home, their land, their livestock... and they believe there is nothing they can do about it. That is a terrible, desperate feeling.
M: Yes, to feel that you are going to lose everything is terrifying.
W: Of course it is. And I’m sorry to say that often a woman does lose everything— because the property is taken by her husband’s relatives. We call this property grabbing.
M: Is there any way to prevent property grabbing and return property to the woman?
W: Yes. Women have legal fights to land and other properties. But unfortunately, most women don’t know this. So they don’t take any action.
M: You mean women think that the law is against them—so they don’t challenge it?
W: That’s right. But again, I want to make this very clear. The law is not against women. Women have rights to keep property—they just don’t know it!
M: So, it’s important for women to understand what rights they have, and how the law works.
W: Exactly. Once they know the laws, they can take steps to make sure that they keep their home and their land.
M: Okay, so I guess that when women come to you for help, this is one of the things you recommend—learn about the local laws. What else can a woman do?
W: I always recommend that a woman do three things. First: Discuss the importance of making a will with your husband. Encourage him to make a will in the presence of witnesses. Number two: Find out if it is possible to register the home where you live with your husband. If you can, you will remain the owner of the land and house after your husband’s death. Number three: Get legal advice from a lawyer, a paralegal or a local organization that offers this type of assistance. They can help you understand your rights and the law.
M: Mrs. Mutwa, I think the advice that you’ve offered here on the program will help many women. Do you think that this kind of property grabbing will definitely affect women’s lives after their husbands’ death?
W: Definitely. Some of the women hope that the inheritance given by their husbands would help them out. Well, as a matter of fact, however, the fact proves that they always lose their things left by their husbands as their husbands’ relatives always ask her to divide the things with them. The relatives put forward that property and asset in her family are mostly produced by the husband. And so the wife should not take all of them away. The women have no idea about what she deserves, some of them even take it for granted that the property should be returned to the husband’s family. This is the essence of the problem, I hope that women should have this kind of awareness that they should go to seek for help from some professional lawyers.
M: Thank you for joining us today.
W: You’re most welcome.