Staff Reporter
A Kwekwe prophet, Charity Mafirowanda (46) and eight members at her shrine, Talent Khumalo (42), Admire Makota (23), Bongani Paraffin (33), Ronald Mandiedza (24), Lyton Ndhlovu (18), Anold Mashiri (22), Pauline Banda (33) and Margaret Zireba (23) who are facing murder charges allegedly dumped the corpse of Micky Chuma at her house in bed together with her four year old nephew, the court heard.
The court also heard that Chuma’s husband Michael Tagwirei (88) who is a mental patient was sleeping in the same bed.
The child and Tagwirei spent the whole night in bed with the corpse as the matter came to light the following morning around 0800hours when Chemedza Matikiti discovered it.
According to court papers Chuma died at a shrine in Mbizo 16 after ingesting a concoction of Chibuku opaque beer mixed with snuff which was allegedly administered by the accused persons on 18 June 2025.
The nine were remanded in custody to 4 July 2025 when they recently appeared in court.
The court heard that on the 18th of June 2025 Micky Chuma went for a traditional cleansing ceremony at a shrine led by Mafirowanda in a bush in Mbizo 16, Kwekwe.
Mafirowanda who is the leader of the shrine allegedly made a concoction of Chibuku beer, snuff and handed it over to Khumalo.
Khumalo it is said accompanied Chuma out of the shrine where she took the concoction as per instruction of Mafirowanda. Before she could finish drinking the concoction, Chuma started vomiting and crying for help. Suddenly she fell into a trance and Mafirowanda is said to have ordered Makota, Paraffin, Mandiedza, Ndhlovu, Mashiri, Banda and Zireba to lift the now deceased and bring her back to the shrine.
It is said whilst at the shrine and in the pretext of casting evil spirits, Khumalo and Ndhlovu took turns to pour cold water mixed with coarse salt on Chuma’s body until she started shivering.
The court heard that Mafirowanda ordered the others to ferry the body of Chuma from the shrine to her house in Mbizo 7, Kwekwe.
It is said the accused persons changed Chuma into clean clothes and covered her with a blanket before going away.
