Kwekwe – A self-proclaimed prophetess and eight members of her congregation have been apprehended by the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) in connection with the death of a 54-year-old man during what is suspected to be a botched exorcism at a church shrine in Mbizo, Kwekwe.
The prophetess, Charity Mafirowanda (46), and her congregants – Talent Khumalo (42), Bongani Paraffin (33), Admire Makota (23), Ronald Mandiedza (24), Margret Zireba (21), Lyton Ndlovu (19), Arnold Mashiri (23) and Pauline Banda (33) – are now facing serious charges following the demise of Micky Chuma.
According to a statement released by the police, Chuma’s death is believed to have been caused by a hazardous concoction administered to him in an attempt to cast out demons.
“The suspects allegedly administered a concoction to the victim in an attempt to exorcise evil spirits, resulting in the victim’s death,” said police spokesperson Commissioner Paul Nyathi.
In a bid to conceal the crime, it is alleged that the accused individuals transported Chuma’s lifeless body from the shrine to his residence, where they placed it on his bed and covered it with blankets.
“After the victim’s death, the suspects allegedly carried the body from the shrine to the victim’s residence, where they placed it on the bed before covering it with blankets, in attempt to conceal the crime,” the police statement read.
This incident comes a mere four months after another Kwekwe-based prophet was taken into custody for staging a fake miracle, highlighting a worrying trend of religious figures engaging in deceptive practices.
The pair are accused of causing a public nuisance after Kweza was allegedly paid to pretend to be a witch at Madzibaba Heavynisher’s shrine.
The fake miracle unfolded on February 17th, when Kweza was discovered inside a locked house in Mbizo Phase 3, Kwekwe. Inspector Emmanuel Mahoko, the Midlands police spokesperson, provided details of the arrest.
“The house where the woman was found is near the shrine of Madzibaba Heavynisher’s Johane Masowe eChishanu church. The woman was wearing black skin-tight clothing, a black vest, and a black headscarf. A crowd gathered after hearing that a witch had been spotted at the location, and ZRP Mbizo police were called to investigate and disperse the crowd,” Insp Mahoko explained.
Police investigations revealed that Kweza had allegedly conspired with Madzibaba Heavynisher to feign witchcraft in order to attract more followers to his shrine.
“During the investigation, police seized Revai Kweza’s phone and found WhatsApp messages between her and the prophet Madzibaba Heavynisher discussing the arrangement and payment,” Insp Mahoko confirmed. The messages reportedly detailed the plan for Kweza to pretend to be a witch, and the financial compensation she would receive for her role.
Both Madzibaba Heavynisher and Revai Kweza are now awaiting trial on charges of causing public nuisance.
Inspector Mahoko issued a strong warning to the public, urging them to be cautious of such schemes. “We urge the public to use their hands and work hard to earn money, not to engage in trickery and scams. We also encourage the public, if they wish to seek services from prophets, to first seek thorough information about their practices from others or organisations representing traditional healers because many of them use fraud and deception in their work, defrauding people of money and other things,” he cautioned.
The police spokesperson also raised concerns about the potential for exploitation within some religious gatherings. “Our main message is that people should be careful when rushing to the shrines of various prophets because much of what they find there is false. Women and girls are being raped there. We hear some are said to throw snakes, goblins, and fake horns into people’s homes and give false prophecies, so let’s be wary of these prophets,” Insp Mahoko added, highlighting the need for vigilance and discernment when seeking spiritual guidance.
This is not the first time such an incident has occurred in Zimbabwe. A similar case took place some years ago in Budiriro, Harare, where two women were arrested and prosecuted for pretending to be witches at a local shrine.
The recurrence of such incidents raises concerns about the exploitation of vulnerable individuals and the manipulation of religious beliefs for personal gain. The police are urging the public to report any suspicious activities and to exercise caution when engaging with religious figures and organisations.
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