Moffat Mungazi
Tendai Gukutikwa
Weekender Reporter
A FUNERAL wake turned into a chaotic frenzy last week as mourners bayed for the blood of a woman claimed to have had a hand in the death of the 15-year-old Anthony Mapanzure.
The emotional storm unfolded in Hobhouse 2, moments before Anthony’s body was transported to Buhera for burial.
At the heart of the turmoil was a neighbour standing accused of allegedly casting a deadly curse on the teenager, sparking a bitter dispute that ultimately led to his tragic demise.
As tensions boiled over, mourners abandoned the funeral, and descended upon the neighbour’s vending stall, demanding answers and justice for the young life lost.
When The Weekender visited the Mapanzure home this week, Anthony’s sisters shared chilling accounts of the events leading to their brother’s death.
Tinomuda Mapanzure recounted how Anthony and the neighbour’s son were inseparable friends, both attending Sakubva Commercial High School, until an argument turned tragic.
“Anthony and this woman’s child were the best of friends. They were always together, but everything changed after my brother hit his friend with a stone during a fight. The boy’s mother came here shouting, and although my mother wanted to take the boy to the hospital, there were no visible injuries. But as the woman left with her child, she said, ‘It is okay, do what you want, but if your child encounters anything nasty, do not ask me’.
“To us that was a curse, because she said it threateningly, and it meant that Anthony had to be careful. We never thought that he would end up dead. He was the only boy in a family of four,” said Tinomuda.
According to Tinomuda, Anthony fell seriously ill that same night.
The family initially suspected malaria and rushed him to hospital, but tests came out negative.
Despite frantic medical efforts, Anthony’s condition deteriorated, and he died five days later.
“The post-mortem revealed that he died of malaria, a disease they failed to diagnose while he was still alive, so we do not believe it. He was cursed on Thursday, and by Tuesday, he was gone,” said Tinomuda.
The late Anthony’s other sibling, Blandina Mapanzure, added to the eerie narrative, recalling an unsettling encounter with Anthony’s friend.
“I was going to the shops on Friday night when I heard the kids fighting. I overheard Anthony’s friend bragging to the boys who were assaulting him, saying he was untouchable because his family had ‘dealt with Anthony’ after their fight. He even said, ‘If only you knew what we did to Anthony, you would not be assaulting me. Go and check on him at their house, he is bedridden because he assaulted me,” claimed Blandina.
The tension boiled over at the funeral, with mourners furious that the neighbour did not attended the funeral.
A neighbour, Nokutenda Guchu narrated the explosive incident.
“People were so angry. When they realised that the neighbour in question never set foot at the funeral wake, they wanted to carry the coffin to her vending stall which is less than 100 metres from the house, but were stopped by Anthony’s parents. However, the mob besieged the vending stall without the coffin. When the woman saw the mob approaching, she ran to the shops, and hid inside. People threatened to break the shop windows. When she finally came out, she dared anyone accusing her to point at her directly,” said Guchu, adding that the atmosphere shifted ominously when the woman challenged the crowd.
“The air changed. People suddenly developed cold feet, and the crowd dispersed just like that. It was as if something invisible had scared them away,” she said.
Anthony was eventually laid to rest in Buhera, but the controversy lingered.
When The Weekender visited the accused neighbour’s vending stall for a comment, she was said to have gone home to refresh.
When the news crew went to her house, she was said to have gone back to the vending stall.
White garment prophet, Madzibaba Nzira, who was also at the funeral weighed in on the situation, cautioning people to be mindful of their words.
“It could be that this woman uttered those words out of anger, with no evil intention. Maybe it was just Anthony’s time to die. But when death follows a threat like that, people will naturally assume there is a connection. This is why we must be careful with what we say, especially in a fit of rage,” he said.
Online Reporter