malvernmugadzikwa
THE dusty and bumpy road leading to Ruyamuro Shopping Centre in Crowhill is now just too busy.
Barely an hour passes without cars of various shapes and sizes heading to the shrine of a prophetess who has gained fame for her ability to solve marital problems and infertility challenges, end joblessness and ward off criminals.
Both well-heeled and financially embarrassed members of our population are making their way to the shrine to seek help.
Vendors selling lemons, coarse salt, honey, eggs and milk — which are usually used by prophets and prophetesses — are enjoying brisk business because of the shrine.
The high number of people making a beeline to the place shows the extent to which the public is into consulting visionaries, occultists and those with the spirit of divination.
Kombi drivers claim they sometimes carry whole busloads of people heading for the shrine.
“Oh, my brother, women are a very funny lot. We carry many of them day in, day out as they will be heading to the shrine.
“What surprises me is that some of them will not be aware of the directions,” said a kombi driver.
“People trust prophets a lot. No matter the kinds of stories you hear people saying about being duped, people will always visit prophets. While women constitute the biggest number of visitors to the Apostolic sect shrines, some men are not to be left out. While women will be seeking to keep the love fires in their homes burning, men will be seeking money or a way to wiggle out of court cases,” a conductor plying the same route said.
Mr Tellmore Nyakabaura said the issue of prophets and prophetesses was just too topical to ignore.
“My friend, if there is something you must appreciate, it is that people never rest from visiting prophets. If you hear about a bus accident, even in a far-off place, do not dismiss it at face value because your wife may be in that kombi. The moment men leave for work, some women start hopping from one shrine to the other, seeking ways to control them and/or remain in the marriages.
“Some women are very rough when addressing their husbands, but that does not mean they do not love them. They then start visiting prophets countrywide to ensure they remain in the game,” he said.
True to Mr Nyakabaura’s observations, yours truly was shocked to find a whole pebble (muteuro) placed in a salt shaker at a friend’s house where he had been invited for lunch.
As I commit pen to paper, gentle reader, being offered a lift in some people’s cars is actually an eye-opener as you can find copious amounts of coarse salt, snuff and funny clothes stashed in the doors as a way of preventing accidents.
At workplaces, too, some people seeking good favour sometimes throw pebbles, coarse salt and snuff in the boss’ office.
Entrances to buildings and carpets are also targeted as people try to remain in employment.
Workers who sweep the courts of law sometimes come across many things that relatives throw in the hope of making the magistrate and prosecutor sleepy so that their loved ones are not jailed.
Sitting next to some people during court sessions is quite an ordeal since they will be smelling bad because of ointments they would have applied to make cases pan out in their favour.
Inotambika mughetto.
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