UZ Prof Muwati was buried alive by Madzibaba Ishmael

The story of Professor Itai Muwati’s unexplained death took a new turn yesterday, according to a family member who said the cult leader Madzibaba Ishmael’s goons assaulted him to death as he watched and gave the order to do additional harm.

They say that one of Madzibaba Ishmael’s closest supporters took the former UZ professor’s widow, and Prof. Muwati was still alive when he was buried.

He had decided to reside at the Nyabira shrine of Madzibaba Ishmael and, according to members of his family, had chosen to leave the cult then he was attacked.

Prof. Muwati was poisoned, according to a postmortem that was given to his family on Monday, two years after he passed away.

Also Read: UZ prof was poisoned at Madzibaba Ishmael’s shrine in 2022, body exhumed

The family claims they had been trying to get that autopsy report for two years but their efforts were repeatedly frustrated by officers at Nyabira Police Station, H Metro reports.

However, the family managed to exhume the professor’s remains from the shallow grave at the shrine where he was buried just hours after his death.

The family is now trying to recover a herd of 30 cattle and two vehicles and a grinding mill, which they say belonged to the late Professor.

After yesterday’s reports that Prof Muwati was poisoned, his family members began to supply more details of his mysterious death.

Tichie D Madiwanashe, who said the late Professor was his uncle, said:

“You were beaten whilst Ishmael was seated on a chair urging his assassins to deal with you ruthlessly, I am in tears sekuru as I write.

“RIP Mkrugenzi, I can imagine the horror you went through.

“Continue to rest in peace Sekuru Itai, we know your murderers and justice will finally be delivered as I promised you when you visited in my dream.

“We are not resting, your mine, your vehicles, cattles, hanga, chickens, matoki, chigayo chemafuta, grinding mill, gas tanks and your money they looted, they shall return.

“You bought Ishmael an Isuzu KB280, when he was released from prison, you gave him your C200 Benz, helped him more than anybody else did but this is how he chose to repay you.

“Just because you wanted to leave his cult.”

He added:

“We know James Takavengwa Gwenzi, Rinos Kabunu and Devlodge Phibion Katsande beat you up, we heard you fought back but stones were used to attack you, and knobkeries, you bled profusely and you were given pfuko, laced with poison.

“We know they buried you alive, you breathed your last underground and Inspector Musekiwa…was, indeed, a stumbling block, however, at last we are there, you can now rest in peace.

“We know Terrance Nhavira and Byton Andrew Muganhu are using your truck and Byton took your wife the day you were buried and your household property.”

Gwenzi and Katsande have been charged together with Madzibaba Ishmael.

“Byton took over the household property, house, kids, and wife plus the truck, the rest kuna Mambo weKenani, most projects they are doing were initiated and funded by Prof Muwati.

“Other monies came from Oscar Hardware in Domboshawa, which had a stock of up to US$80 000 dollars and, for a good three months, it cashed directly to Ishmael, we hear his sons (Abedinigo and Stailodge) were behind the sales.