Online Reporter
Tendai Gukutikwa
Weekender Reporter
A SELF-STYLED prophet and his followers are under fire after allegedly collecting soil from a dead man’s grave, mixing it with salt, and frying it in a ritual meant to cure the deceased’s younger brother, Musaita Gatakata.
The shocking act has angered the deceased’s children, who have taken the matter to Chief Mutasa’s community court, demanding answers over what they describe as grave desecration and suspicious activities at their father’s resting place.
One of the daughters, Naume Gatakata, reported the case, saying her father’s death in 2021 remains a source of pain and suspicion.
“He fell ill after drinking mahewu at his workplace. He complained of severe stomach pains, was hospitalised, and later died. A post-mortem revealed that it was food poisoning, but as a family we never fully understood what really happened,” she explained.
Years after the burial, the family began noticing strange objects at his grave — needles, bottles, and clay pots — none of which had been placed there by immediate relatives.
“We became worried. Later, one of our uncles developed persistent leg pain and claimed it was caused by our father’s spirit. He consulted a prophet, who instructed that soil be taken from the grave,” said Naume.
Concerned by the discovery, Gatakata said the family sought advice from traditional healers to understand the significance of the objects.
“We started seeing strange things at my father’s grave. A day after we buried him, we noticed a needle that had been placed on the grave. Later on, we saw bottles placed near the grave. We also found small clay pots placed at the grave. These things were not placed there by our immediate family, so we became worried,” she said, adding that the situation escalated further when one of their uncles reportedly began experiencing persistent leg pain and sought help from a prophetic healer.
“Our uncle said he had a painful leg, and claimed that it was being caused by the spirit of our late father,” said Gatakata, adding that their uncle consulted a prophetic healer, who allegedly instructed that soil be taken from the grave.
Gatakata said the act angered some family members who felt the grave had been desecrated.
Tensions reached boiling point last month when the family discovered fresh damage to the grave.
“They consulted a prophet who instructed them to take soil from our father’s grave. The soil was fried and mixed with salt before being returned to the grave. Last month, we went to the grave and found that there was a hole that had been drilled into our father’s tombstone. That is when we realised that something very wrong was happening,” she said.
The allegations were strongly contested by Musaita Gatakata, the uncle accused of conducting the rituals.
While admitting that he had consulted a prophetic healer because of his illness, he denied personally taking soil from the grave.
“The prophet told us that there was need for soil from the grave to be taken so that I could be healed. People went to get the soil for the prophet, but I did not go to the grave because I was bedridden. I was in pain and wanted help. I never intended to disrespect my brother’s grave,” said Musaita, insisting that his intentions were purely to seek healing.
He expressed frustration at accusations that he was involved in the death of his late brother.
“The truth is that the prophet they are talking about, Macheka — is actually my best friend. Now they are saying that Macheka and I killed my brother, which is not true,” he said.
Chief Mutasa questioned the justification for taking soil from a grave and frying it.
He condemned the alleged actions and warned that the traditional court treats grave desecration seriously.
He stressed that cemeteries are sacred places that must be treated with respect, regardless of family disputes or spiritual concerns.
Chief Mutasa said the court need to hear the prophet’s testimony.
“I will fine you for desecrating a grave. That is very, very bad. Why did you fry soil taken from a grave and mix it with salt? You cannot just go to a grave and desecrate it. I want the prophet who instructed this to appear before this court. We must hear exactly what instructions were given and why,” he said, also ordering that other family members allegedly involved in the act be summoned to testify.
