When someone dies, pandemonium often ensues as relatives jostle to get the biggest portion of their estate. What is even stranger is that this is not a problem confined only to the poor who have no legal knowledge; we have all heard stories about how some eminent lawyers leave behind confusion. Sara Longwe, who is one of the longest-serving gender activists, notes that many people, particularly in Africa, still do not write wills. Having played a pivotal role in shaping the Intestate Inheritance Act of 1989, a law which safeguards widows and children by ensuring they retain property after a husband’s death when no will is left, Longwe says it’s good that women are no longer left destitute. Longwe, who...
