Teen's burial abandoned in Harare after 'prophets' claim she is alive

The burial of a teenage girl was abandoned in bizarre scenes on Wednesday after members of a church sect insisted that she was alive.

The 16-year-old Form 4 pupil at Kwayedza High School in Highfield, is said to have died suddenly on Monday after complaining of a headache. She was due to be buried at the Granville (Mbudzi) Cemetery in Harare.

A Doves hearse carried her body to the cemetery, but her burial was abandoned after seers from an Apostolic church sect told her relatives she was alive.

A video of the incident shows her coffin being pulled halfway out of the hearse and the coffin being opened to reveal the lifeless body of a young girl, who is identified as Deaphin Mutemeri.

The seers then ordered the gathered crowd to stop recording them as they went about some rituals trying to revive the girl, which were not successful.

ZimLive understands the Apostolic sect crew then asked for her body to be returned to her home in Highfield, where they would continue with the resurrection attempts.

The hearse, as it drove back to Highfield, went via Machipisa Police Station where a huge crowd gathered as rumours spread that a resurrection had occurred.

The body was eventually returned to her home in Highfield, where the seers were continuing with efforts to revive the girl, witnesses said.

Doctors say it is impossible for a body that has stayed two nights in a mortuary to regain consciousness, but this has not stopped the girl's superstitious family from entertaining hopes that she can be revived.