“They Used My Body for Rituals” — Spirit’s Chilling Accusation Stuns Court

A dramatic twist gripped Chief Mutasa’s court in Manicaland last Saturday as the spirit of Martin Machika, once thought to have died by suicide, accused villagers of ritual murder.

The spirit, speaking through a family medium, claimed Machika had not taken his own life but was killed for spiritual purposes.

It demanded justice and the return of a mysterious bag that allegedly vanished on the day of his death — a bag the spirit said holds the truth behind what happened.

Machika’s body was found hanging from a tree in a valley. But the spirit insisted the scene had been staged.

“Chirara and his accomplices killed me when they saw me and used my body parts for rituals,” the spirit declared, sending chills through the packed courtroom.

The spirit recounted Machika’s final hours, saying he had visited the homestead of Godden Chirara, a white garment prophet, seeking help with marital problems.

“I had gone to Chirara’s homestead with my friend to seek his services. His wife and daughters even prepared me food, which I ate.

“After my friend and I left, we parted ways, but I never made it back home,” the spirit said.

Testimony revealed that a villager who allegedly picked up Machika’s bag later had a dream in which the deceased instructed him to hand it over to Chirara.

The bag’s disappearance has become central to the case, with the court convinced it may contain clues to what truly happened.

As reported by The Manica Post, the spirit claimed Chirara played a key role in the killing.

Patrick Nyatoti, who discovered the body, testified in his defence.

“I was the first to see the body hanging from a tree at sunset. At first, I thought someone was climbing, but when I looked closely, I realised it was a corpse.

“I was shocked. I called a neighbour, Mabasa. Together we alerted others, including Chirara and Timburwa, who are now my co-accused in this murder case,” he said.

Nyatoti denied knowing Machika or being involved in his death.

Chirara also denied any wrongdoing.

“I only recognised him vaguely as someone who had once been to my homestead with a friend, looking for help with marital issues. I did not kill him,” said the prophet.

However, when pressed by Chief Mutasa to use his spiritual powers to clarify the matter, Chirara entered what he claimed was a trance and made a shocking accusation.

“He came seeking help over his wife’s infidelity. But the Lord is revealing that we did not kill him. His own older brother, Victor, is responsible.

“The family knows more than they are saying,” Chirara alleged.

The courtroom erupted. Victor Machika stood up in anger, rejecting the claim.

“I loved my brother. How can anyone accuse me of killing him? We mourned and buried him, and now we are being dragged into lies. It is unthinkable,” he said.

The Machika family dismissed Chirara’s allegations and maintained they had no role in the death.

Victor explained the strange events that followed the burial.

“At first, because it was said he had committed suicide, we buried him in the section of the graveyard reserved for such cases. But we started having strange dreams.

“Children in our family began manifesting, saying our brother was appearing to them in spirit, insisting he had not taken his own life,” he said.

The family applied for an exhumation order, which was granted.

“We exhumed him and reburied him in the normal section of the graveyard. After that, the dreams stopped for a while. But later, the manifestations started again.

“This time, he kept demanding his missing bag, the same bag that vanished on the day he died. He said it holds the truth of what happened to him,” Victor explained.

Chief Mutasa said the case was too complex to be resolved traditionally.

“This case is not only about family fights or accusations. A life was lost, and there are too many unanswered questions.

“The disappearance of this bag raises serious suspicions. If indeed foul play was involved, then the law must take its course,” he said.

The accused men — Chirara, Nyatoti, and Timburwa were handed over to the police for further investigation.

Court proceedings were adjourned to a later date.