The funeral of Eddy Fresh, real name Eddy Takawira, and his wife Shylete Masangamba, was far from a peaceful send-off.
The couple, well-known in Harare’s social circles as TikTok celebrities and employed as a security head and soldier respectively, died tragically in a car accident near Kutama last week, leaving behind a trail of unanswered questions and allegations of supernatural intervention.
Their deaths, and the subsequent funeral, have become the subject of intense speculation and claims linking their demise to an outstanding debt to a traditional healer, Sekuru Kafera.
The couple reportedly owed Sekuru Kafera, a sangoma from Seke in Chitungwiza, $8500 for services rendered. The exact nature of these services remains undisclosed, but the ensuing events suggest a complex and potentially volatile relationship between the deceased and the traditional healer.
Sekuru Kafera himself claims his work was responsible for the couple’s recent rise in wealth, stating, “I am the one who made them rich after they had consulted me for a better livelihood. I assisted the wife to get promoted and they used to buy cars as a result of my work. But what do they do to pay me back for that? They opted to ignore me as if they were the wise ones from the east. They have no one to blame.”
Adding to the already tense atmosphere, audio recordings circulating on social media detail a series of extraordinary events surrounding the funeral. In one recording, a distraught family member recounts a litany of misfortunes. “My child was involved in Satanism,” the relative said.
“She was in cahoots with her husband. When we got to her funeral we were told that the church is not welcome. We were told that they were gay and they were some of the most promiscuous people in Harare. They were TikTok celebrities, Facebook and other platforms.”
The account continues with harrowing details: “We almost died when we were going to collect them. The kombi we were in was involved in an accident and seven people were injured. There was a lot of rain that we couldn’t understand and lightning hit the tent that people were sheltering in. It was very scary… Eddy’s ghost was seen and people ran away. It was the kind of thing that you see in African movies. We saw things that we thought that people act out in movies in Nigeria could happen here.”
The mourner, believed to be Eddie’s mother-in-law expressed her shock and grief, stating: “I have never suffered such humiliation all my life. It was shocking to learn that my son and his wife were into satanism, prostitution, homosexuality and manjuzu. Thanks Mai Nyasha. Bhaibheri rinoti patinopererwa Mwari ndopaanotangira. It can only be God who brought you on board and used you as a vessel to help me bury your ‘sister’. I am indebted to you.”
Another family member, in a separate audio recording, provided further details of the events surrounding the burial.
“Makasara mushe here veduwee, isu takafgamba mushe tikanovaviga varamu vengu, asi varamu venyu vakavigwa nehembe dzavo amai mwana. Takazoti tiriko kunhamo, kwakabva kwauya n’anga yekwaSeke inonzi Sekuru Kafera vakati mukomana uyu ndini ndanga ndichimuitisa mari but anga asisade kubhadhara saka ndauya kuzotora zvinhu zvangu,” she said.
“Client yakatanga kuenda kwasekuru Kafera mukadzi wacho, hanzi achia ma rank ekuchisoja kwake hanzi ndikatomukwiridzira, ndikamukwiridzira, iyezvino anga ava Chief Officer. Anga akubva muhu Chief Officer, anga akuenda kuPresidential Guard. Pane imwe position yaakatojambiswa akatoyenda padenga. Saka vanhu ava vanga vasisade kundibhadhara. So hanzi last week vayatonetsana nasekuru, sekuru vakati maita mari ka, ndofunga zvinhu zvavo zvinenge zvichivaudza kuti vanhu vaya vane mari, chimbouyaiwo mundiwonewo, hanzi kwakuendesa US$500 from US$10,000. Ndofunga ndosaka sekuru vakati haaa makajaidzwa imi, ndopavakangotumirwa nyanga, kwakungotungwa vachi driver ndobva vatofa.,” she said.
“Saka sekuru vakati kana muchida hembe dzake hameno zvenyu, asi hembe dzake yanga iri mari yangu saka kana muri vanhu vakangwara hembe dzake ngaaende nadzo, ma suitcase kuiswa apo, kuvigwa nema suitcase ake munhu, akaenda nesuitcase rake munhu, hakuna kana pant rakagovewa, nezvikwama nezvikwama. Haaa panga pakaipa.”
“Saka kungodzidza kuti vanhu ngavashande, izvi zven’anga zvinotevera n’anga. Iyezvino wasiira vana nhamo, apa vanga vasina imba vanga vachiroja. Kusiira vana matambudziko chaiko. Vana vanotanga kutambura musi wawafa. Nekuti ipapa pavakati ndirikuda zvinhu zvangu, kwakatoendwa kumba kwacho kukanosakurwa kukawanikwa kuine US$5000 vakatoitora sekuru vakati imari yangu iyi, vakati even mota idzodzo kusanganisira yakaita accident yacho ndirikuida, ndipei mabook emota. Saka pane kamwana katete kakati book remota ndaripisa, zvikanzi saka kana mapisa hapana kwamurikuenda. munoita accident futi mukakudubuka,” the woman continued.
Sekuru Kafera’s account of events differs significantly. He admits to the outstanding debt, stating that the couple had made only a partial payment of $1500.
“Eddy and his wife were people who I was working with. I wanted them to live well while I also live well. They came and gave me $1500 and I took it. I said Eddy, since things have turned out well for you, can you pay me so I can visit my relations in Malawi. I asked three times and they refused. After that I gave up and that’s where it ended,” he explained.
He further alleges that the family attempted to assault his children, escalating tensions. “His wife’s mother’s family came here and they said they were removing themselves from the situation. They said they could not be involved in the situation because of all that was happening but I told them this would follow them. I want to work with the people from both the families because I’m preparing to go to Malawi now. I don’t care about the money. They should have come to sit down and talk to me,” he said.
Adding another layer of complexity, Sekuru Kafera recently sent a letter to Eddy’s family, demanding payment. The letter, bearing a Zinatha stamp, read: “Ndine urombo ndini ndatuma nhume maererano nezvatakaitirana na Eddie nemudzimai wake. Ndinokumbira musvike kudare pasina kukundikana kana mapedza (burial). Ndini wenyu Sekuru Kafera.”
Following the burial, Sekuru Kafera reportedly visited Eddy’s home, accompanied by a police officer, and collected US$5,000. He also demanded the couple’s vehicles, including the accident-damaged one.
The funeral itself was marked by further unusual occurrences. The couple were buried with suitcases full of their clothes, and seven mourners were involved in a separate kombi accident. A bolt of lightning struck the funeral tent, adding to the already charged atmosphere.
The events surrounding the deaths of Eddy and Shylete Takawira, and the subsequent funeral, present a complex and unsettling picture.
