The ManicaPost
Tendai Gukutikwa
Weekender Reporter
A MUTAMBARA family’s rushed decision to ‘mend’ their late mother’s desecrated grave without following customary rituals and protocols has put them on a collision course with the local traditional leadership who argue this could anger the deceased and bring bad omen to the area.
The move by the Munjoma family — now based in Canada, USA and UK — sparked controversy and disapproval from traditional leadership, who argued that old-age traditions should not be by-passed when dealing with such delicate matters.
Ironically, the Munjomas are part of the Mutambara royal dynasty.
In an interview last Saturday, Acting Chief Mutambara said the family of the late Nyika Munjoma — now based in the Diaspora, only called to inform him that they wanted to fill up the grave without performing any traditional rituals and customs since they do not believe in such practice.
“I was called by the deceased’s family who are now based in the Diaspora, who told me that they had resolved to fill up their mother’s grave up without any traditional rituals or customs because they do not believe in the practice.
“I could not stop them because it is their mother’s grave, but I told them that if anything happens as a result of their contemptuous conduct as regards the traditions and customs of the Mutambara people, they should not come back crying foul. I tried to explain to them the importance of performing the rituals as mystery still surrounds the desecration of the family graves, but they refused to budge,” he said.
He said if traditional rituals are not performed, the deceased’s spirit will not rest, but continue wandering among the living, putting it in danger of being exploited by evil family members.
This follows the desecration of three graves of the Munjoma family, at the Mutambara community cemetery last month.
Upon consultations with a spiritual healer, it was revealed that the three graves were empty after the skeletal remains were allegedly stolen by a family member to enhance his spiritual prowess.
Nyika’s grave was among the desecrated ones, having died in December 2023.
The other two belong to Guidance and Alice Munjoma. Alice’s children have since followed the recommended traditional rituals and protocols in mending their mother’s grave.
Only Guidance’s grave is still gaping as the traditional leaders struggle to contact the family.
“Only Guidance’s grave remains open and the family has not approached me on the issue. We have tried to contact them without success. This is now a serious challenge since a grave is not supposed to be open. It is taboo,” he said.
Acting Chief Mutambara said an open grave brings bad luck to the area as the deceased’s spirit will be wandering among the living.
For example, the late Alice’s son, Caddy, approached the chief, complaining that he was dreaming his mother expressing bitterness over the state of her grave.
The chief summoned the family to a closed door court session after which he referred them to a local white garment prophet identified as Chagwadama who told them that their relatives’ remains were missing from the three graves.
The spiritualist claimed that the human remains were being used by one of the family members — a church leader — to enhance spiritual powers.
Caddy’s family performed the prescribed rituals and customs.
“The prophet said even if they cover the holes on the graves without spiritual help, the graves will remain empty and the spirit will be restless,” he said.
The Weekender also caught up with the prophet, Chagwadama who claimed to have unearthed money and oracle bones from Alice’s grave. Chagwadama said Nyika’s family should not have filled their mother’s desecrated grave without a cleansing ceremony.
“I found strange paraphernalia in Alice’s grave as I cleansed it. In Alice’s grave, the money was inside the coffin. I used my spiritual powers to bring it out.
“I did not open the coffin. I have since returned her corpse and soul back into the grave. There is more in Nyika’s grave, but I cannot do anything if the family does not want my involvement. I was hoping to do the same with the other two graves since the deceased are angry and need to be returned and rested in their graves,” he said.
