Dead man orders family to exit corpse through a hole in the wall

A particularly bizarre demand by a 73-year-old Chitungwiza man, who died two weeks ago, continues to draw keen interest in the town and beyond.

Mr Marowa Zhuwawo is said to have directed his family to remove his coffin from the house through a specially drilled hole in the wall soon after the funeral wake.

True to tradition, the family bore his bedroom wall before slowly pushing the coffin outside in front of scores of stunned mourners.

"I just drilled the wall for free because he was a close friend of mine. We then sealed it immediately after the coffin was taken outside," said Mr Nhungapula Chipila, a builder commissioned to help carry out the request.

The story of Mr Zhuwawo's departure from the world of the living into the realm of the preternatural remains a major talking point in Chitungwiza.

Residents contend the bizarre act signified his passage into a new life. Others maintain it was tied to rituals. It is understood he was of Mozambican descent and a known gambler.

As such, charms leveraged his exploits at the card table. The charms also carried preconditions. One of them was for his corpse to be brought in through the door, exit through the walls.

Failure to observe this strict instruction is believed to bring misfortune and harm to the family. A resident claimed the senior citizen confided he wanted to exit earth in this fashion because of zvandakabata kare.

The resident ' who preferred anonymity ' said he believed the wall was the only route for his family to avoid a ritual backlash.

"He died after suffering a stroke about three weeks ago. During his days, he told relatives and close friends that when he died he did not want his body to lie in state at the home or to pass through the same door that his family uses," said the resident.

"He said these orders should be followed or there was likely to be a series of deaths in the family. So, an opening was drilled in the bedroom wall.

"Relatives had to pass the coffin through the wall while other mourners received it outside. He also indicated he had returned the charms to their original owner.

"He was, however, no longer in good books with those close to him who criticised him for returning the charms."

Mr Zhuwawo's widow would not be drawn into commenting on the bizarre episode. She remained silent, her eyes glazed over, apparently in deep thought.

She then spoke briefly.

"He was a foreigner. I would not, therefore, know what he was up to in certain instances."

Her son, Wellington, threatened to shoot a The Sunday Mail crew that visited the home.

"You can go and get the details from whoever told you. I would have given you the story had you come diplomatically. I will deal with you if you go ahead and publish the story," he said in a calm, yet intimidating voice.

Zimbabwe Traditional Medicine Practitioners' Association president Mr Friday Chisanyu said such acts are done for various reasons.

"The major reason why people do this is when they used charms in worship of their ancestral fathers to enrich themselves. This comes with conditions," he said.

"One precondition is that when such a person dies, they are not supposed to pass through the door, otherwise the family will suffer.

"However, other circumstances could be that one might be a namesake of an ancestor whose coffin was treated in the same manner.

"Another person could also do it just because they saw it done elsewhere."

Zimbabwe National Traditional Healers' Association president Professor Gordon Chavunduka said nothing would befall the Zhuwawo family, even if they had not heeded the instruction.

"It was just out of the fear of the unknown that they followed the instruction. Otherwise, there are no repercussions to the remaining family members."

A Harare pastor who declined to be identified said the dead do not hold power over the living.

"The Bible tells us that there is no connection between the living and the dead. They have no power because what makes a person would have departed."