In Zimbabwe
Pastor fails to resurrect after asking church members
to bury him alive so he could summon powers
Pastor Kanyama had reportedly asked his followers
to bury him alive so that he could summon more
cleansing powers to heal the family that had been
plagued by mysterious deaths
Five members of the same family were charged with
the murder of a prophet who had been called to their
their home in the village of Mazonde, Zimbabwe to
help them cleanse their house of evil spirits.
According to local newspaper, Zed 24 News, the
accused family identified asLeanmore Mutero,
Tonderai Muswere, Michael Muchengeti, Manasa
MuteroandNicholas Mutero, appeared at the High
Court in Harare facing a murder charge for
participating in the death of self-professed Prophet
Shamiso Kanyama, who accidentally died during a
healing ceremony..
Zed 24 Newsreports that High Court Justice Owen
Tagu heard how on that day, the late pastor had been
invited to attend the home in the Muzarabani district,
which is situated along the Mozambique-Zimbabwe
border, by their priest, Zvidzai Muchengeti.
The five men had requested the priest to help them
clean their home of evil spirits, because it was
causing mysterious deaths in their family.
Responding to their request to perform a healing
ceremony, Kanyama had ordered his followers to dig
a grave and bury him alive because that was the way
he summoned more healing powers to ward off evil
spirits. However, the plan backfired on the prophet
when instead of being resurrected as he supposed,
the men dug up the grave again to find him dead.
Kanyama helped to dig his own grave before praying
and jumping inside, Father Zvidzai, who has turned
State witness, told the High Court. He continued that
after laying face down in the grave, he ordered his
followers to start covering him with soil.
“He pegged a grave-shaped pit in front of my hut and
asked for help to dig the pit,”Zvidzai continued.
“Deceased requested to be buried alive so that he
would gain power to drive away the evil forces.”
Fearing for the life of the prophet as the men were in
the process of filling the grave, he requested the men
to stop what they were doing, Joseph Taderera told
Justice Tagu.
However, they ignored his pleas when Kanyama
urged them to continue the process of burying him
alive, stating that he would rise from the grave
unharmed.
“I warned the men about the danger of their actions,
but my advice fell on deaf ears because Kanyama
shouted, telling me that I am disturbing his angels,
and urged them to continue filling the grave, saying
that he would later come out alive,”Taderera said.
IHararesays Justice Tagu heard how the cleansing
ceremony had to be performed on that day because
there would be a memorial service for a departed
family member on the following day.