The Sunday Mail
Religious Affairs Acting Editor
IN African Tradition Religion, November is a sacred month.
In those 30 days, marriages are not permitted. Indeed, just about all other rituals and ceremonies are prohibited.
The belief is that breaking this tradition can lead to disaster on a personal, communal or even national level.
November 2018 has been particularly disastrous for Zimbabwe.
Scores of people have perished in horrific road accidents; and a spate of fires have destroyed buildings and other assets worth tens of thousands of dollars.
It started in Rusape where 50 people died when a Smart Express bus side-swiped a Boltcutter bus on November 8, 2018.
Barely a week later, 33 people died — some of them burnt beyond recognition — when fire engulfed a Brooklyn Express in West Nicholson near Gwanda.
As the country was still mourning these tragedies, fire gutted the popular Glen View furniture complex; and a day later another fire broke out in Kadoma, razing down a leading furniture and clothing line.
It was not over. Last week, fire destroyed six vehicles in Mbare. Then there were also fire disasters in Bulawayo at Mpilo Hospital, and at a police station in Beitbridge.
Now just about everyone is wondering what exactly is going on. Did the nation do something “wrong”, something that traditionalists say should not be done in November, and now we are paying for it? Or is it just coincidence and a sign of the fire season just before rains wash the country?
Police National Spokesperson, Senior Assistant Commissioner Charity Charamba, has been quoted indicating there is nothing supernatural about the tragedies.
She said initial investigations pointed to the explosion of a faulty generator as the probable cause of the Glen View fire, while the Mbare incident may have been the result of mischief by a pair of children.
The fires in Bulawayo, Kadoma and Beitbridge, Snr Asst Comm Charamba said, were likely caused by electrical faults.
But Righteousness Revival Ministries founder Pastor Tawanda Chikeya says God could be angry with those who have turned their backs on Him.
Citing Hosea 8:14, he says when the people of Israel built palaces and temples for idolatry, God was displeased and removed His protection.
“In Zimbabwe many people are cults (have been started), including some we call prophets; some are witches and wizards operating as people of God. Some of the people in authority, they are also playing the same cultic games.
“We destroyed the alter of God in Zimbabwe and all are worshipping Mammon. There are some secret alters in this nation in mountains, in water and graveyards. These (false gods) are being worshipped and receive better sacrifices than the Creator.
“We are lost as Zimbabweans. So fire and accidents and all economic hardships are because of evil altars raised by pastors, community leaders and national leaders. We need a spiritual clean-up of our land.”
Traditional healer Sekuru Elisha Mutanga attributes the disasters to a “Satanic face which appeared on the Victoria Falls”.
In a Facebook post last week, he urged Zimbabweans to denounce the Satanic voices and pray to God either through ATR or Christianity.
“Let’s all stop the voice of Satan which is causing road accidents and strange fires. I want to warn all those involved in Satanic activities that they will be punished,” warns Sekuru Mutanga.
“All the problems will soon be over because the God/Mwari of our ancestors has intervened and those who did nothing wrong have been liberated. May the God of all nations bless Zimbabwe.”
In a recent prophetic word for Zimbabwe, Bulawayo-based preacher, Prophet Ian Ndlovu said a group of witches were causing problems for Zimbabwe via their rituals at Satanic altars.
Council of Islamic Affairs in Zimbabwe chair Sheikh Ishmail Duwa says the accidents are due to human negligence and have nothing to do with Allah.
“People cannot be careless and then blame God for the terrible accidents. Careless driving results in accidents and there is no spiritual explanation to that.
“We don’t believe that these disasters are happening because we are in the month of November. It doesn’t matter whether it’s November or January, accidents do happen. It’s just Allah’s time; if He allows it then there is nothing humans can do about it.”
