The Sunday Mail
Veronica Gwaze
FOR the past year, Zimbabwe has experienced sad episodes.
Hundreds of people have died due to natural disasters such as the recent Cyclone Idai, cholera outbreaks, road and mine accidents.
This has prompted questions to be asked about what could be the root cause of the untold suffering and deaths.
Debate is raging on whether the problems can be explained spiritually or its all man-made.
So devastating are the disasters that have in a short period claimed 700 lives like what Cyclone Idai has done in Zimbabwe, Malawi and Mozambique.
The strong winds and torrential rains damaged infrastructure — sweeping away entire villages — and left strange boulders in communities.
Scientists are still investigating the full extent of the origin and impact of the tropical cyclone whose devastation has never been experienced before on this part of the globe.
What makes conspiracy theories abound is the fact that Cyclone Idai occurred while the nation was still grieving the death of 24 artisanal miners in Kadoma.
Road accidents have claimed hundreds of people with the recent involving 13 members of the Mugodhi Apostolic Church who were crushed to death by a lorry, which veered off the road in Hwedza.
The worshippers had just finished a Passover feast when tragedy struck.
There are many other examples of road accidents including the Smart Bus Rusape disaster, which claimed 47 people including the one in which 33 passengers were burnt to ashes in a Brooklyn bus inferno in West Nicholson — near Gwanda.
Mysterious fires have been experienced at Jameson High School in Kadoma and Hartzel High School in Mutare.
The Glen view Area 8 furniture complex and Magaba in Mbare have also been not spared by the fires.
Chief Makoni — born Donald Kamba — said the calamities have a spiritual explanation in “our African culture”.
“Whatever happens in the physical is a manifestation of what occurs in the spiritual world. Nothing happens for no reason,” he said.
Chief Makoni attributed the misfortunes to avenging spirits, which were abandoned after the liberation struggle.
“Indigenous belief systems have been dumped; a lot of people have shifted and labelled our cultural practice as primitive and evil,” he said.
“We are grieved as a result of accidents and natural disasters but we shouldn’t forget to ask questions. If there is a spiritual problem, it must be fixed. Our ancestors will punish us for forsaking our way of living.”
Chief Makoni said many Africans have turned to Christianity but warned against abandoning traditional belief systems.
Apostolic Faith Mission Pastor, Justice Linda, said the calamities were a clear sign that “we are living in the last days” in fulfilment of Luke 21:11 and Mathew 24:7.
“It is God who keeps certain things away from the control of humanity so that we remain connected to Him as we seek Him for answers,” he said.
“Jesus is about to come; these are the last days.”
Fatima Zahra College founder, Sheikh Abdullah Makwinji, argued that some of the disasters were a result of disobedience to Allah/God’s laws.
“Sometimes challenges are a test before great blessings from God,” he said.
“Sicknesses comes once health laws are violated and accidents happen when we fail to observe traffic rules. We ought to adhere to laws and rules governing our society.”
A researcher with the University of Johannesburg, Dr John Ringson, believes that the African Traditional Religion (ATR) and Christian could answer key questions to causes of disasters.
“In ATR problems are associated with angry ancestral spirits provoked by the wrong doings of the living,” he said.
“On the other hand, Christians believe that disasters are caused by the anger of God as what happened in the days of Noah and the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah.
“Both Christians and traditionalists say the solution to such disasters is true repentance and appease the angry spiritual deities.”
