Rotina Mavhunga
| Rotina Mavhunga | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Nomatter Tagarira |
| Occupation | Spirit Medium, Traditional Healer |
| Known for | Leading Zanu-PF government ministers to believe there was refined diesel provided by ancestral spirits that was oozing from a rock naturally in Chinhoyi. |
Rotina Mavhunga who is also known as Nomatter Tagarira, is a traditional healer and a spirit medium who claimed that diesel was oozing from Maningwa Hills (in Chinhoyi) in 2007. Mavhunga who is educated up to grade 3 was found guilty (in 2010) of defrauding and misinforming government officials. It was also reported that Tobaiwa Mudede was the brains behind Mavhunga's mysterious 'diesel discovery'. [1]
Diesel from a rock incident
Mavhunga became a household name in 2007 when she stated that diesel was oozing out from Maningwa Hills during the time when the country was suffering from fuel shortages. This 'discovery' attracted the attention of senior government officials who were also members of the Zimbabwe African National Union Patriotic Front (Zanu PF) led by Robert Mugabe. [2]
Mavhunga began to make hasty demands promising that she would make the product readily available. Mavhunga was given a farm, Z$5 billion, cattle and 3 buffaloes and a car.[2] Whenever she was supposed to deliver, Mavhunga however went on to make new demands. This caused people to question her authenticity and or capability to produce diesel from rocks.
One of her demands was that Mugabe was supposed to walk barefooted to the diesel point for the product to ooze in large quantities for the benefit of the nation.[3] Mavhunga went on to claim that the same rocks were capable of spewing Jet A fuel, petroleum and paraffin.[4] She also claimed that she had donated gold to some senior government officials which she had also discovered from her community.[4] Prior to her 2007 claims, Mavhunga had already made headlines in Chinhoyi when it was allegedly reported that she had turned to become a man overnight.[3]
Arrest and Trial
Mavhunga was arrested in September 2010, after Mugabe had ordered her arrest. During her trial, Mavhunga stated that she was in the dark to what was transpiring during the time she made the revelation that diesel could come from rocks. She further said that it was the work of Changamire Dombo who had just instructed her on how to alleviate the problems which the nation was facing. [5] Surprisingly upon the time of her arrest, diesel had stopped spewing from the rocks.
It was revealed that there was a diesel tanks inside the hill and her aides who were also arrested were holding a hose pipe which pumped diesel out in front of ministers who had visited Mavhunga's shrine.
Mavhunga also revealed that Didymus Mutasa who was then harbouring ambitions to the president of the country had offered her a farm. [6] Mavhunga, however, refused to assist him to be the president and he withdrew his gift.
Mavhunga's relatives stated that Mavhunga was a troublesome woman who was also causing havoc within the family and the community in which she was residing in before relocating to the hills. As a result of her attitude towards her family, Mavhunga obtained a protection order from the police. Her aides were her new family. [3] She was also accused of duping Chief Bepura who in the end neglected his duties to serve the traditional healer.[3]
The judge presiding over Mavhunga's case sentenced her to 27 months in prison for defrauding government officials and the nation at large. [5] Whilst in prison, Mavhunga converted to Christianity.[7]
Release
She was released on 29 March 2012 and it has been claimed that she has since resumed from where she had left (continuing her duties as a traditional leader).
References
- ↑ Diesel N’anga was sponsored by Tobaiwa Mudede, Zim Eye, published:30 Sep 2010,retrieved:31 July 2014"
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Lebo Nkatazo, Mugabe: 'Diesel mystic's beauty blinded ministers', New Zimbabwe, published:11 Dec 2011,retrieved:31 July 2014"
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Garikai Mazara, On the trail of the diesel mystic, New Zimbabwe, published:22 Jul 2012,retrieved:31 July 2014"
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Karoyo, Rotina Mavhunga: The Female Magician Who fooled Mugabe and His Inner Circle, OLE AFRICA, published:5 Oct 2010,retrieved:31 July 2014"
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Diesel n'anga Rotina Mavhunga sent to jail, Zimbabwe Online Press, published:29 Sep 2010,retrieved:31 July 2014"
- ↑ Kelvin Jakachira, "Dhiziri Mugomo": The Real Story, Change Zimbabwe, published:20 Oct 2010, retrieved:31 July 2014"
- ↑ ‘Diesel n’anga’ released. Converts to Pentecostalism, Religion in Zimbabwe, published:9 Apr 2012,retrieved:31 July 2014"
