Online Reporter
Tendai Gukutikwa
Weekender Reporter
AN avenging spirit in Mutasa has accused surviving brothers of killing their sibling out of jealousy, harnessing his spirit to prosper in banana farming, and seizing his sacred traditional artifacts.
The spirit, believed to be that of the late Moses Mandiyewuza, is said to be manifesting through his minor daughter and son.
During these trances, the children have levelled chilling accusations against their uncles, claiming they, not only orchestrated their father’s death but also sought to inherit his two wives.
The matter came before Chief Mutasa’s community court last Saturday, where proceedings were marked by emotional outbursts. The children, reportedly under spiritual possession, shouted accusations at their uncles, leaving the packed courtroom stunned.
Through his daughter, the spirit recounted a tale of betrayal and greed:
“I was killed because of jealousy. My brother David had land, which our father divided. I received a small portion and began producing bananas. I became successful, and that angered them. They killed me and repossessed the land I had developed.”
The spirit went further, alleging that after his death, his brothers also killed their parents.
The accusations extended to Solomon Mandiyewuza, another sibling, who was accused of confiscating Moses’ traditional knobkerrie and clay pots—items believed to hold spiritual power.
“Solomon took my knobkerrie and clay pot. He uses them in his farming venture. His success is not his own; it is my spirit working for him,” the spirit declared.
The spirit also accused the brothers of attempting to inherit his wives, branding them “evil and wicked.”
The case was formally reported by Moses’ son, Makhebo Tichafa, who told the court that strange events began after the family erected a tombstone on their father’s grave.
“We invited the elders, but they refused to attend. As children, we went ahead and erected the tombstone ourselves. The next morning, we made a disturbing discovery,” Tichafa said, without elaborating further in court.
“When we went to the grave the next morning, we found three holes dug on the grave. We were shocked and consulted prophetic and traditional healers. They told us that the problem was being caused by family members,” he said, adding that matters escalated dramatically on December 10 when his siblings began manifesting spirits of deceased people.
“Our siblings started manifesting, speaking in strange voices. The traditional healer, who later helped advised us to bring the matter to Chief Mutasa’s attention,” he said.
He said the manifestations appeared targeted, with the children allegedly being drawn to their uncles’ homesteads under trance.
“Our uncle David later came to the rural home, and that same night the girl, who was manifesting ran to his homestead and asked him why he had killed Moses. At first he fought the children, but later he left them alone,” said Tichafa.
He said the children later ran to Solomon Mandiyewuza’s place while still under trance.
“This uncle said everything was stage-managed and caused by evil spirits, but admitted that he had my late father’s knobkerrie and clay pots, which he promised to surrender back,” said Makhebo.
However, the accused uncles vehemently denied the allegations, dismissing the claims as lies and fabrications driven by long-standing family tensions.
David told the court that he was never informed about the tombstone unveiling ceremony, and was shocked by the accusations.
“I was never told about any tombstone unveiling programme. These boys do not set foot at my homestead. There is bad blood between us,” said David, further denying any knowledge of the alleged spiritual manifestations.
“I am only hearing it today that these children are manifesting. I know nothing about that,” he said, to which Makhebo insisted that he was informed, but he stood his ground.
Jacob Mandiyewuza told the court that he had previously been subjected to similar accusations.
“In 2019, they dragged me to a traditional healer, claiming that I had killed their father. This thing keeps coming back,” said Jacob.
Zacharia also denied any wrongdoing, accusing Makhebo of dishonesty.
“This boy is lying. He never told us anything, and all he does is dragging us to these courts,” said Zacharia.
As proceedings continued, the atmosphere in the court became increasingly tense as the two minors, still said to be in trance, shouted at their uncles, calling them liars and killers while interrupting their testimonies.
Chief Mutasa urged the family to seek proper traditional intervention to resolve the matter and prevent further unrest.
“These are serious accusations that cannot be ignored. The family must consult reputable traditional healers so that the truth can be established and the avenging spirit appeased,” said Chief Mutasa, warning that unresolved spiritual disputes often bring prolonged suffering to families.
“When issues of avenging spirits are not handled properly, they disturb the living. You must follow the correct procedures so that there is peace,” he said.
Chief Mutasa also cautioned Makhebo to respect his uncles regardless of the gravity of the accusations.
