Religious And Traditional Leaders Unite To Cleanse “Haunted” Seke Road

Religious and traditional leaders held a spiritual cleansing ceremony along the Harare–Chitungwiza highway (Seke Road) on Tuesday, amid growing concern over a spike in fatal accidents on the busy route.

The prayers followed a recent accident near Hunyani Bridge last Tuesday, which claimed 17 lives, including two pedestrians who were struck by a truck that veered out of control and collided with a commuter minibus.

Worshippers from various Christian denominations gathered at the crash site for an interdenominational prayer service. Many knelt, sang hymns, and offered prayers to purify the road and appeal for an end to what they viewed as a dark cloud of tragedy surrounding the highway.

A traditional leader remarked that the ceremony was held to drive away destructive forces believed to be causing death and chaos, not only on Seke Road but across the country’s road network.

A local resident expressed concern about the number of lives being lost along the stretch, saying the community was living in constant fear. The resident called for unity among all religious groups to seek divine intervention.

Christian Faith Church’s Bishop Jonathan Masamba noted that the frequent and deadly nature of accidents on the road suggests that more is needed than just roadworks and infrastructure improvements. He said:

We cannot ignore the spiritual implications. We are here to pray, but also to awaken the nation to the power of faith in combating unseen forces behind these calamities.

Chief Seke revealed that plans are underway to hold a traditional cleansing ceremony. He said:

We are grieving as the Seke community. As traditional leaders, we have rituals that we perform to curb the spilling of blood on the roads. A cleansing ceremony is on the cards and will be advised in due course after consulting elders.

National Chairperson Masvikiro Enyika4ED, Sekuru Morrison Mafuta, said that the spirits of those who died in the recent accident remain restless at the scene.

He stressed the need for a traditional ceremony to appease these souls and help them find peace, warning that without this, further accidents could occur. He called on all spirit mediums to unite in performing this urgent ritual.

In a separate incident, a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter travelling from Chitungwiza to Harare reportedly suffered a front tyre blowout and veered off the road near Chinhamo Bridge, just a few kilometres from the site of last week’s fatal crash.

Several passengers sustained serious injuries and have been admitted to hospital.