Even with Thelma’s attempts to seek peace, her in-laws continue to pressure her. Master of the High Court Mr. Eldard Mutasa told Human Rights Watch, “Standing up and going to the police to report property grabbing takes guts. These widows are running the risk of being banished. People fear that risk.”52 Some widows told Human Rights Watch that they, and sometimes their late husbands, had anticipated efforts by in-laws to grab property and took steps to try to prevent it. Charity, 49, from Mashonaland East, told Human Rights Watch that she first watched her in-laws grab the property of her sister-in-law when her husband’s brother died. At the funeral of my brother-in-law, a few years previous to my husband’s passing, they [my in-laws] took everything, and left my sister in-law and kids destitute. I took them in. Now, my mother-in-law sleeps on her son’s [my brother-in-law’s] marital bed, with blankets made as gifts for him and his wife.53 She took that as a cautionary tale and sought help from her sister, who is lawyer, when her husband passed away. Charity’s sister met with the family, explained that she was a lawyer and that she would take them to court if they tried to grab the property. Charity said that her in-laws still grumble and she willingly materially supports her mother in-law, but they have not made a move to grab her property. Registration of Marriages Human Rights Watch found that the lack of registration of customary unions is one of the most significant enablers of the grabbing of property of widows in Zimbabwe. Widows without registered marriage certificates were easy targets for property grabbing because of the difficulties proving a marriage after a husband’s death. A leading women’s rights group in Zimbabwe, said of widows: “The most pressing issue is that of unregistered customary law unions that although recognized for purposes of inheritance, are not 52 Human Rights Watch interview with Master of the High Court Mr. Eldard Mutasa, November 1, 2016. 53 Human Rights Watch interview with Charity, May 28, 2016. “YOU WILL GET NOTHING” 24