Moffat Mungazi
Tendai Gukutikwa
Weekender Reporter
THE avenging spirit of Father Matara, a Roman Catholic Church priest murdered in 1971, is wreaking havoc in the Banhu family of Mutasa, sparking heated debate about the phenomenon of avenging spirits.
The matter, which was brought before Chief Mutasa’s community court recently, has left the local community grappling with the implications of a priest, traditionally revered as a holy figure, returning as an avenging spirit.
Father Matara, a Roman Catholic priest from Bocha under Chief Marange, was serving at St Barbara’s Mission in Mutasa when he was murdered.
His avenging spirit is allegedly haunting the Banhu family in Mutasa, accusing one of its members, Cosmas, of being responsible for the priest’s murder.
Tongai Banhu brought the matter before the court, accusing his uncles, Tamurazi and Cosmas, as well as Cosmas’ wife of being responsible for the mysterious occurrences haunting his family.
He testified that the priest’s unsolved murder has remained a dark chapter in the area’s history.
Tongai told the court that since his childhood, his family has been burdened by accusations of being responsible for the priest’s murder.
“Growing up, my family was ostracised and labelled as killers in our community. Even finding love was a challenge, as girls were hesitant to date us. However, I eventually got married and started a family. But now, I am facing a new set of problems. Every night, I wake up to find my children sleeping outside, and our home is plagued by bizarre occurrences. We were told that it is the avenging spirit of Father Matara, who was murdered by my uncle,” he said.
Tongai explained that in their search for answers, they consulted prophets and traditional healers, who revealed that his uncle, Cosmas, allegedly possessed a shape-shifting snake that also changes into a chameleon.
According to the healers, this supernatural creature was used to ward off Father Matara’s avenging spirit.
However, Tongai claimed that despite this revelation, his elderly uncle, Cosmas refused to join them in consulting traditional healers, insisting that he was not troubled by any spiritual issues.
“We also visited the Matara homestead in Bocha in an effort to make amends for Father Matara’s death. However, in a surprising turn of events, Chief Marange advised the family members not to sign any agreement without reading it first. Despite this warning, my uncle, Cosmas signed the document, acknowledging his role in the priest’s murder,” Tongai explained.
Cosmas claimed that the avenging spirit was not haunting him, and therefore, he saw no need to seek spiritual intervention.
“We consulted Madzibaba Gutu, a local spiritual leader, and he revealed to us that Cosmas was indeed responsible for Father Matara’s murder. However, despite initially admitting to the crime at the Matara homestead in Bocha, Cosmas later denied any involvement in the priest’s death,” he explained.
Cosmas vehemently denied all the allegations, offering an alternate account of events leading up to Father Matara’s murder.
According to Cosmas, he was in Bulawayo at the time, and had only returned to his rural home for the holidays when the incident occurred, claiming he was not involved in the priest’s death.
Cosmas presented his account of events to the court, stating: “I was staying in Bulawayo and had returned to my rural home for the holidays. I wanted my child to be baptised at St Barbara’s Mission where Father Matara was stationed.
Upon arrival, I was informed that Father Matara was in Rusape, so I returned home, but it was already late. The next morning, Father Matara was found dead. He was also robbed. Police officers came to my homestead inquiring about the time I left the mission, as suspicions arose that I was involved in Father Matara’s murder,” said Cosmas.
Cosmas said he and his brother were taken in for questioning by the police, but were later cleared of any wrongdoing.
He vehemently denied the allegations against him, maintaining his innocence in connection with Father Matara’s murder.
“My hands are clean,” Cosmas asserted.
“If I were truly responsible for Father Matara’s murder, his spirit would haunt my immediate family, not my brothers’ families. I did not kill anyone. It is my brothers’ children who are making these false accusations,” he said.
After hearing both sides, Chief Mutasa adjourned the matter, advising the family to seek spiritual guidance from a traditional healer to help resolve the issue.
Chief Mutasa noted that while the criminal investigation into Father Matara’s murder had been concluded years ago, the lingering spiritual concerns need to be addressed to bring closure to the affected family.
He expressed concerns that approaching Madzibaba Gutu, a local healer who was likely aware of the rumours surrounding the case, could compromise the process. Instead, Chief Mutasa advised the family to consult neutral healers to ensure a fair and proper resolution.
The family was instructed to consult Sekuru Shungirai Mukotsanjera, a healer from Nyanga, to address the alleged avenging spirit and revert back to the court with feedback.
The family later consulted Sekuru Mukotsanjera who managed to unravel the avenging spirit mystery, resulting in Cosmas’ confession.
Initially, Father Matara’s avenging spirit which was manifesting through a woman demanded 50 beasts as compensation, but reduced the number to 30 through Sekuru Mukotsanjera’s intercession.
