Seventy (70) people were arrested by the police on Friday, 24 November for obstructing the free movement of traffic and people as they were performing rituals at the scene of a hit-and-run accident in Mbare, Harare.
In a statement, the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) said a man was killed in a fatal hit-and-run road traffic accident in Mbare on Wednesday.
Two days later, 70 mourners who were aboard two trucks and were en route to Granville Cemetery (Kumbudzi) disembarked at the scene of the accident and started to sing and dance resulting in their arrest by the police. ZRP said:
<blockquote>
Police in Harare are investigating a fatal hit-and-run road traffic accident in which a male adult died after being hit by an unknown motorist at the intersection of Remembrance Drive and Ardbenie Road, Mbare on 22/11/23. The motorist did not stop after the accident.
Meanwhile, on 24/11/23 at around 1400 hours, 70 people were arrested for obstructing the free movement of traffic and people at the scene of the accident.
The suspects, who were aboard two lorries en route to Mbudzi Cemetery, had disembarked from the lorries before gathering at the centre of the intersection to allegedly perform rituals whilst singing and dancing.
</blockquote>
In Zimbabwe, there is a cultural belief in avenging spirits, which is often referred to as “Ngozi”.
According to this belief, avenging spirits are the restless spirits of individuals who have died under tragic or unjust circumstances, such as murder or accidental death.
These spirits are believed to seek justice or revenge for their untimely demise.
The relatives of the deceased would perform some rituals at the accident or murder scene or at the grave to incite the spirit of the deceased to seek vengeance.
It is believed that the avenging spirit will haunt the murderer and his family or her family, bringing misfortune, illness, or even death until the wrong is acknowledged and resolved through traditional rituals and appeasement of the spirit.
More: <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/">Pindula News</a>

Pindula News

70 People Arrested While Performing Rituals At Accident Scene In Mbare

Zimbabwe’s gravediggers are struggling to cope with the high number of people who are dying of COVID-19 as the country grapples with a deadlier second wave of the pandemic.
Thomas Rasauka (not his real name), a gravedigger in Zimbabwe’s capital, Harare, told Al Jazeera that since New Year’s Day he has had very little rest.
Rasauka, who has been in the gravedigging profession for 12 years, said they are digging 10 to 12 graves daily now and that the past few weeks have been the most tiresome and busiest periods since he became a gravedigger.
Rasauka works with seven colleagues at Warren Hills Cemetery, one of the oldest graveyards west of Harare. He said:
<blockquote>People are dying in numbers because of COVID-19. Three out of five burials here are COVID-19.</blockquote>
Meanwhile, City of Harare spokesperson Innocent Ruwende told Al Jazeera that burials at their two council-owned graveyards, Warren Hills and Granville, have increased in recent weeks. He said:
<blockquote>As of last year, we were burying 18 people [daily] but the numbers have increased in recent weeks. As of last week, we were burying around 45 people on average daily at our graveyards.</blockquote>
Prince Mupamombe, a 28-year-old flower vendor at Warren Hills Cemetery, said there has been increased traffic into the graveyard in the new year. He told Al Jazeera:
<blockquote>We have seen a number of COVID-19 funerals come and go. Every day we see them come in and bury the dead
We can tell from the PPE clothing they wear. Last year, we would see only two to three funeral processions daily.</blockquote>
<h4>More: <a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/1/20/as-covid-cases-in-zimbabwe-surge-gravediggers-struggle-to-cope" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Al Jazeera</a></h4>

Zimbabwe's Gravediggers Struggle To Cope With Covid Corpses

Five men have been arrested and are expected to appear before the courts for criminal trespass after they planted crops in a cemetery, Zororo Memorial Park.
The development was confirmed by police national spokesperson, Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi who indicated that the accused are expected to appear before the court soon. He said:
<blockquote>Five men in Harare have been arrested for criminal trespass after they invaded private property in Zororo Memorial Park and planted crops.</blockquote>
This is not the first time for residents in urban areas to trespass after Harare City Council (HCC) reported a couple of months ago that it would move out illegal settlers who had invaded Granville Cemetery, popularly known as Kumbudzi and erected structures around the cemetery located along the Harare-Masvingo Highway.
There are also reports suggesting that some residents are planting crops in other undesignated sites such as wetlands due to shortage of farming land to practise farming in the urban areas.
The land is scarce in urban areas, even for residential purposes, a situation that has made illegal land developers to prey on desperate land-seekers.
More: <a href="https://www.dailynews.co.zw/articles/2019/12/05/five-men-arrested-for-invading-cemetery">Daily News</a>

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