Reports claimed Maveto (67), a polygamist, buried his children, aged one, three and four years – as well as a 10-month-old toddler – under the cover of darkness after they allegedly succumbed to measles-related complications last month.

Maveto has, however, refuted the allegations saying he is prepared to let anyone exhume the bodies to see for themselves that there were no mass graves at his homestead.

Meanwhile, Mhere told H-Metro that she has never been to a hospital and depends on prayers and help from prophets. She said:

It is not allowed for one to seek medical attention. You just pray for whatever illness you’re facing or consult the prophet for help.

We only use holy water, cooking oil and salt, depending on the prophet’s instructions.

When a child is born, we perform a ritual to protect the baby from measles.

For other ailments, like a running stomach, we use fresh milk and Coca-Cola, to cleanse the body.

Alice Chiyambiro, Mhere’s sister, said they also use a mixture of lemons, cooking oil and warm water for healing infants with fontanelle problems (nhova).