Baptism gone wrong

TRAGEDY struck the Kubatanakwashe Faith Fellowship Church in Chipinge, where two children died after drinking a concoction at a baptism ceremony on the banks of Save River.

The incident left residents of Ndunduma village in Chibuwe area in shock. The mixture is said to have been prepared by the church leader, Pedzanai Masapa, after a church service. Masapa had prophesied that a calamity would befall children from the village unless they were baptised.

Deputy Manicaland provincial police spokesperson Assistant Inspector Wiseman Chinyoka confirmed the incident and said investigations were underway, adding that no arrests had been made yet.

The two children were identified as Taurai Zituta-Sithole, aged one year, and Raymond Bote (11 months).

Both have since been buried.

“On November 25, Shangurai Chifadza (23) and Miriam Zvuihari (22) of Ndunduma village went for a church service at the Kubatanakwashe Faith Fellowship Church shrine in the same village. The church leader, Pedzanai Masapa (43), of Masimbe village, told the congregants to go for baptism along Save River.

“While at the river, Masapa prepared a concoction – which was a mixture of milk, flour and coarse salt – and made the children to drink it before their baptism. This was in accordance with their church doctrine.

“Before giving the minors the concoction to drink, Masapa prayed for the mixture and drank it first. He gave it to 10 infants present. However, a few minutes later, the two minors, Raymond Bote and Taurai Zituta-Sithole started producing froth from their mouths.

“They were rushed to their homes and died upon arrival. The matter was reported to the police, who then went to the scene. The bodies were taken to the Chipinge District Hospital for post-mortem,” said Ass Insp Chinyoka.

Different theories have emerged, with some members of the community saying the minors died of food poisoning, while others believe witchcraft was at play.

Some are arguing the children were victims of the ongoing infighting within the church.

In an interview, one of the bereaved parents, Mr Mwadhana Zituta-Sithole, said post-mortem results revealed that there was no poisoning.

“My wife and our late son went to the Kubatanakwashe Faith Fellowship Church for prayers, together with other members of the community. On this fateful day, our child looked fine, but I was surprised to see my wife returning home around 4pm, saying the boy had collapsed at church. We tried everything to resuscitate him, but God had other plans, and he died.

“I cannot attribute his death to the concoction they were made to drink at the church. There are some issues rocking the church that need to be addressed urgently. The matter is before the traditional leadership.

“The church leader, Masapa, prophesied that a calamity would befall our children and this has come to pass,” said Mr Zituta-Sithole.

The local traditional leader, Mutape Nzeka, said the community elders will discuss how to cleanse the area.

Efforts to get a comment from Masapa did not yield results, as his mobile number was not reachable. — Manica Post

**********

Man forces ex’s new lover to drink urine

In a fit of jealousy, a man from Njube suburb in Bulawayo allegedly kidnapped his ex-girlfriend and her new lover before he brutally assaulted them and forced the man to drink his urine.

This came to light when Munyaradzi Shara (28) appeared before Bulawayo regional magistrate Mark Dzira, facing a kidnapping charge.

He pleaded not guilty to the charge and was remanded out of custody to December 14, 2022 for trial.

Around 6pm, on November 25, 2022, Shara allegedly met his former lover Sophia Ncube (21) with her new boyfriend Ntandoyenkosi Mbambo (27) and his friend Talent Sibanda (21) in the city centre.

Shara approached the three and ordered them to move towards the registrar’s offices in Bulawayo. When they arrived, he asked Sibanda to wait at a distance so that he could talk to Ncube and Mbambo in private.

Shara then demanded Mbambo’s cellphone before he ordered the couple, together with Sibanda, to accompany him to his workplace at Herentals College, where he is employed as a security guard.

Upon arrival, he is said to have started assaulting Sibanda with bare hands and kicking him several times all over the body.

Shara then took Ncube and Mbambo into one of the classrooms, where he assaulted his ex-lover with a broom stick, chair and bare hands.

He then kicked Mbambo on the face before he urinated into a plastic bottle. He allegedly forced Mbambo to drink the urine.

The guard is accused of detaining Ncube and Mbambo in the classroom from 7pm to 12am.

After their release, the couple reported the matter to the police, leading to Shara’s arrest.

Ncube sustained multiple bruises on her left thigh, and a medical report will be produced in court as an exhibit. — B-Metro