Death Of Madzibaba Ishmael’s Follower At "Canaan" Was Due To Pregnancy Complications - Postmortem Report
A 27-year-old member of an Apostolic sect led by Madzibaba Ishmael Chokurongerwa, who died and was buried at the shrine in November 2023, died as a result of a miscarriage, a postmortem conducted at Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals has revealed.
According to NewZimbabwe.com, the late Hazel Chikurume had a miscarriage that needed specialist medical attention which she was denied due to the sect’s religious beliefs.
Her remains were recently exhumed from the shrine known as “Canaan” situated in Nyabira, Mashonaland West Province.
Chikurume was reportedly buried without the knowledge of her biological mother.
In an interview with Destiny TV, Chikurume’s uncle, who referred to himself as Sendi, said:
A post-mortem revealed that Hazel had suffered a miscarriage before her death and it had been unknown to her family.
Chikurume’s father and her husband led the police to her grave to undertake the exhumation process.
Madzibaba Ishmael’s church is accused of abusing women at the Lily Farm compound and Chikurume’s hasty burial was thought to have been a cover-up.
Chikurume’s mother, Memory Mukanairi, said she only wanted to see the remains of her daughter irrespective of the stage of decomposition. Said Mukanairi:
We were not informed of her death and just heard about the issue through neighbours. We then went to the farm, where we were advised to seek protection since the sect leaders were reported to be violent. I am told my daughter died and was buried by four men who are not even related to her.
We are happy to witness our child’s remains being exhumed. We were not given the chance to mourn our child because of this indoctrination.
It is really painful to me that my child died during childbirth because now I am thinking that, maybe, if I had been there she was not going to go through that and I was going to help her.
Chikurume was reburied last weekend at the family homestead in Mazvihwa, Mt Darwin in Mashonaland Central province.
Meanwhile, two female members of Madzibaba Ishmael’s sect, Danai Tigere (56) and Veronica Chitanda (40), were arrested recently after they were caught harbouring nine women who are believed to be key witnesses in the case that led to their leader’s arrest.
The two women allegedly were hiding the witnesses at a house in Mufakose, Harare. They are now facing trafficking charges.
More: Pindula News
