Back-to-Back Crashes on Seke Road Prompt Calls for Spiritual Cleansing
CHITUNGWIZA — After 33 road casualties in one week—including 17 deaths at Manyame Bridge and 16 injuries near Chinhamo Bridge, religious and traditional leaders are calling for urgent spiritual cleansing of the Harare–Chitungwiza highway.
The back-to-back crashes have triggered widespread grief and stirred fears of a mysterious force—what locals are now calling a spirit of death believed to haunt the route.
In response, worshippers from across Christian denominations converged near the Manyame Bridge crash site early Tuesday morning for an interdenominational prayer vigil.
Congregants knelt along the roadside, sang hymns, and offered solemn prayers for divine protection.
“It is the devil’s work to steal, kill, and destroy. The purpose of prayer is to cleanse the road and stop this dark spirit—not just here, but across Zimbabwe,” said one traditional leader.
Residents say the mounting bloodshed along Seke Road has left communities gripped by fear.
“Too much blood is spilling here. As residents, we’re living in fear. All religious sects must unite and seek the face of God,” said one concerned local.
“We believe in the power of prayer. At one point, Jesus calmed the storm. If we stand together, we can stop these deaths,” added another worshipper.
Speaking to ZBC, Bishop Jonathan Masamba of Christian Faith Church underscored the need for more than physical interventions.
“We cannot ignore the spiritual implications. We’ve come to pray—but also to remind the nation that faith matters in confronting unseen forces driving these tragedies.”
Traditional leaders joined the spiritual outcry and confirmed plans for rituals aimed at restoring balance and appeasing lingering spirits near the crash sites.
“We are grieving as the Seke community.As custodians of culture, we perform cleansing rituals to curb bloodshed. Consultations are ongoing, and the ceremony will be announced soon,” said Chief Seke.
Adding his voice to the ancestral call, Sekuru Morrison Mafuta—National Chairperson of Masvikiro Enyika4ED emphasized the urgency of traditional rites.
“The souls of those who perished in the recent accident are still lingering at the scene. We need a traditional ceremony to help them find rest. Without this, more accidents may follow. All spirit mediums must come together for this urgent task,” he said.
Just hours before the prayer gathering, another crash occurred on the same highway.
A Mercedes-Benz Sprinter, traveling from Chitungwiza to Harare, burst a front tyre near Chinhamo Bridge and veered off the road into nearby bush.
“The Sprinter was in the inner lane when the front tyre on the driver’s side burst. The vehicle flew nearly a metre before landing in the bush,” said an eyewitness.
Sixteen passengers sustained serious injuries and were rushed to hospital.
As road fatalities escalate across Zimbabwe, communities along the Chitungwiza highway are embracing faith and ancestral traditions—believing that unity, prayer, and ritual cleansing may be the only way to reclaim peace from forces no longer seen, but deeply felt.
