The Sunday Mail
Norman Muchemwa
Forty-three-year-old Peter Manganda is not concerned much about the current furore over circumstances surrounding his cure from a 5,3 kilogramme debilitating tumour that had grown on his head.
All he is interested in is that he is now a relieved man — the huge burden has been lifted — literally — off him.
Manganda lived with the tumour, which first manifested as a small lump, for many years.
The growth, however, progressively metastasised into a huge growth on his head, which largely made him physically weak and ill.
But over the past two weeks, he has been caught up in the middle of an abrasive publicity battle pitting the Prophet Walter Magaya-led PHD Ministries and Parirenyatwa Group of Hospital.
First, PHD Ministries posted a video clip taking credit for the man’s healing.
Soon after the PHD video clip testimony, Parirenyatwa Group of Hospital issued a statement claiming the supposed “miracle” was successful surgery undertaken at the medical institution.
But amid the fuss on who did what, where, when and how, the Nyanga man is happy to have gotten “another chance” to move on with his life.
“I am now a relieved person and I thank the people of Zimbabwe who extended their hand for my miraculous healing,” said Mr Manganda in an interview with The Sunday Mail in Mahusekwa, Mashonaland East, where he is currently recovering before moving to his rural home in Nyanga.
“This gave me a new lease of life and I feel a burden has been lifted from me.”
The father of four opened up on his two-year ordeal after the small lump on his head morphed into a cyst in 2017.
To his shock and horror, it later spread all over his head and swelled into a huge tumour.
Gradually, it became difficult for him to either walk or talk.
After convincing himself that his problem wouldn’t just disappear on its own, Mr Manganda appealed for assistance and his plea was aired on national television.
His cries for help attracted well-wishers who pooled resources for him to be admitted at Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals.
Despite being scheduled to undergo an operation to remove his growth, there were inordinate delays, which saw his procedure being postponed thrice.
An anxious Mr Manganda, who suspected he was stalked by bad omen, was then taken by his brother Shingirai Kamuruko to PHD Ministries, where he received prayers from Prophet Magaya.
“As people who had lost hope, after failing to get help from Parirenyatwa Hospital, we visited PHD on three occasions on April 17, 19 and 21. We managed to see Prophet Magaya on the third day and that’s when he prayed for my brother,” said Kamuruko, who is a teacher at Chivake Primary School in Mahusekwa.
“We received a call from Parirenyatwa Hospital on the April 19 to come for the operation. He was admitted from 22 to 26 April 2019 when the operation was successfully conducted.
“I can confirm that we only received prayers at PHD, but the operation was conducted successfully at Parirenyatwa Hospital.
“We passed through PHD when my brother was released from hospital on the 8th of June just to say thank you for the prayers, not because the tumour was removed by Prophet Magaya,” he added.
A short video clip was later reportedly compiled by PHD Ministries, which resulted in media reports alleging the man had been treated by the prophet after the hospital failed to assist him.
Parirenyatwa Hospital had to take the unprecedented move to set the record straight.
“We therefore, find claims that the hospital failed to treat this patient (Manganda), but was healed by a prophet, to be highly misleading and likely to derail efforts of encouraging health-seeking behaviours among fellow Zimbabweans,” said the hospital in a statement last week.
Manganda is, however, thankful to the hospital staff who facilitated the seven-hour medical procedure that healed him.
“I am grateful to the Parirenyatwa Hospital staff who conducted the successful operation, with special mention to team leader Dr Maximilian Dzowa, and all the staff members I cannot remember by name,” he said.
Mr Manganda’s brother was also equally elated.
“I am glad my brother has recovered. I was shocked to see him eating his meal few minutes after the operation. I thank all well-wishers who chipped in through his difficult moments,” said Kamuruko.
Mr Kamuruko said as a family they were grateful to Label Africa and Institute of Golf Africa that assisted the family with financial support before and after the operation.
He, however, said the family still needs more assistance as it is saddled with a $3 870 hospital bill.
