Marange ‘dies multiple times’, crawls back from the grave

A MARANGE great-grandfather is said to have “died multiple times” before his grave was mysteriously discovered open — an unsettling twist that has plunged his descendants into turmoil.

The bizarre revelations surfaced after two teenage girls from Ringai Village in Marange reportedly became possessed.

The ordeal began on February 3, 2026, when one of the girls collapsed during a school sports event and began behaving strangely.

Upon returning home, she claimed to be under the control of an avenging spirit demanding justice for a brutal killing allegedly committed in the 1960s.

The case has since been reported to Headman Ringai and Chief Marange respectively.

Headman Ringai confirmed the incident, stating that the spirit accused the girl’s great-grandfather of involvement in ritual murder and occult practices — sending shock-waves through the Kutekeya family.

The late great-grandfather, who reportedly “died multiple times” in 1986 before his grave was inexplicably found open, is now at the centre of ancestral blame.

With no clear records of the deceased or his relatives, the family finds itself entangled in a complex web of guilt, fear, and uncertainty.

Haunted by the restless spirit tormenting the two minors, the Kutekeya family remains divided on how to appease the ancestral forces that refuse to be silenced.

“It is a heavy burden to carry, and they do not know where to start or who to approach,” said one villager

Desperate for answers, the Kutekeyas have turned to traditional healers for guidance, hoping to find a way to placate the spirit and restore peace to their household.

When The Weekender visited Ringai Village last Thursday, adult members of the Kutekeya family could not be reached.

Reports indicated that the possessed girl’s uncle — who allegedly inherited ritual paraphernalia and a rural shop at Bezeley Bridge Business Centre from his father — had gone to consult a traditional healer in Checheche, Chipinge.

The inherited charms, once believed to bring quick wealth, are now said to be backfiring spectacularly.

Headman Ringai told The Weekender that he had visited the Kutekeya homestead, where family elders had gathered, including the girl’s grandfather, who was accused by the spirit of involvement in ritual practices. The community remains gripped by fear and speculation as the family struggles to confront the haunting legacy of its past.

“The ngozi claimed it was killed many years ago (1960s), and alleged it (the victim) was an albino. It further alleged that the surviving Kutekeya (uncle), had allegedly received ritual money from his late father, who was accused of killing the albino victim, and whose spirit is now manifesting, seeking for justice,” said Headman Ringai.

Headman Ringai said he initially treated the matter as merely spiritual and advised the family to seek spiritual intervention.

However, the situation escalated the following day when the little girl allegedly teamed up with another granddaughter of Kutekeya, who also began manifesting the same ngozi.

The two possessed girls reportedly went to their grandfather’s shop at Bazeley Business Centre, where they became violent and destroyed property, including mineral drink empty bottles and grocery.

“When I arrived at the shop, I ordered them to explain what the ngozi wanted. They claimed they wanted to destroy everything left behind by the late Kutekeya, who was the father of their grandfather,” said Headman Ringai, adding that the girls distributed grocery items to onlookers, lit stoves, and shifted shop counters.

“I was shocked by what I witnessed. In my understanding, an avenging spirit does not eat, but the strength and power they displayed surprised me. That is when I began to question whether this was spiritual or something else,” he said.

Headman Ringai said he informed Chief Marange, after which he instructed the family to seek help from traditional healers.

The alleged spirit also claimed it had been killed, dismembered, and its body parts stored in a refrigerator before being sold as ‘beef’.

Headman Ringai further revealed that on the day of the incident, one of the girls was bleeding continuously, and the bleeding could not stop.

He said family members reportedly expressed concerns and agreed to consult traditional leaders to establish whether their grandfather was involved in the undisclosed ritual practices.

In another shocking revelation, Headman Ringai recounted strange events surrounding the death of the late Kutekeya, the father of the accused grandfather.

According to him, the man allegedly “died and resurrected” multiple times in December 1986.

“He was first reported dead on December 24, but after mourners had gathered, he allegedly resurrected. He was then reported dead again on December 25, and was finally buried on December 26. Shockingly, during the post-burial mourning rites at the grave site visit early in the morning on December 27, his grave was found open and empty,” said Headman Ringai, adding that the incident deeply disturbed the community and raised unanswered questions that persist to this day.

His homestead was later sold to Asaph Mwashusha, who also claims to have experienced disturbing supernatural events after purchasing the property.

Mwashusha said after renovating the house, it became impossible to live there peacefully.

“I would hear footsteps with no one in sight, locked doors opening on their own, and toilets messed up. Sometimes I would be kicked while sleeping, and the strangest thing was hearing helicopter noises landing on the rooftop at night — yet no helicopter would be visible,” said Mwashusha, adding that attempts to seek help from traditional leaders and various white garment churches were futile as the strange disturbances continued unabated

“I fear these things may continue to haunt my family even after I am gone. Any help to stabilise the homestead is welcome,” he said.

Rumbidzai Ziyaikiye, who once worked as a domestic worker for Mwashusha, also corroborated and confirmed experiencing strange happenings at the homestead.

She said on one occasion, when Mwashusha had travelled to Namibia for medical treatment and was left alone at the house, she heard a frightening noise.

“It happened around 11pm at night while I was sitting. I heard a sound like a helicopter landing on the rooftop. I rushed outside to see what was happening, but I saw nothing,” she said, adding that before Mwashusha left for Namibia, he would sometimes ask her to lock the doors in turns, hoping the strange incidents would stop.

“Sometimes he would ask me to lock the door, saying my ancestors are strong, hoping the door would not open on its own, but nothing changed,” she said.

Headman Ringai had promised to update The Weekender on the developments following consultations with traditional healers by the family, as well as link the publication to the family spokesperson to give their version of the story, but his given mobile number went unanswered on several occasions throughout the week.

_Herald_