A HARARE prophet claims he uses a ‘special’ knife to safeguard his farm produce and money he earns from vegetable sales along Mukuvisi River banks.

Madzibaba Fey Nyamayaro earns a living from selling his vegetables in both local and foreign currency.

He supplies people in Glen Norah and its environs.

However, it is the ‘mysterious’ knife that he leaves ‘stuck’ on a tree stem which he says helps him to locate thieves as well as safeguard his vegetables.

Madzibaba Nyamayaro is said to have acquired his knife in Chihota where he comes from.

In an interview with H-Metro, Madzibaba Nyamayaro said he got the knife after thieves had become a menace.

One of the thieves he caught was a granny he recently spotted stealing his vegetables.

“I once woke up around 3am after failing to get sleep.

“When I came there, I found a very old woman stealing my seedlings and she had packed two 50kg of beans.

She failed to state why she was stealing but I later forgave her because of her age and finally cleansed her of her sins for her not to do this again. I warned her not to do it again because she had sinned,” said Baba Nyamayaro.

When further quizzed why he forgave the thief, he said: “Firstly, I am an apostolic Christian and worse her age, she was very old to be my grandmother too.

“As it stands, all parents are everybody’s parents and what if all her children are late?

“We must learn to help these elderly people and I later heard that the grandmother is taking care of many grandchildren and orphans and she stays there at that house up there.

“I therefore urge all orphans or those with physical challenges or any health challenges to desist from stealing but to ask for help.

“I am afraid that some might steal poisoned vegetables and you kill many people buying your stolen vegetables.”

Madzibaba Nyamayaro’s gardening partner Cleopas Machokoto also confirmed his friend was using his magical knife to apprehend thieves.

“When customers come here, they drop their money at that stone near that pipe there with an angle pointing at this tree where a knife is put.

“When Madzibaba Nyamayaro senses that there is someone coming to steal here, he sits on that stone and starts praying, ndopanobva power remukomana uyu, padombo rake irori,” said Machokoto.

He said Madzibaba Nyamayaro has the power to heal numerous diseases except Aids and Covid-19.

“Madzibaba Nyamayaro helps a lot of people, especially those whose goods have been stolen, those who are barren, cancer patients but he does not heal Covid-19 and Aids,” he said.

On their knowledge about Covid-19 pandemic, he said: “Yes its true we know about this disease; it is killing a lot of people since it causes breathing problems.

“It mainly affects the lungs and it spreads when one inhales droplets of the Coronavirus.

“This is the reason why we always put on face masks here to avoid passing the virus to other people.”

On social distancing rules and regulations, he said they were following the precautions.

He however urged people to maintain hygiene all the time to ensure that they save lives.

“I urge people to thoroughly wash their hands with running water for 20 or more seconds so many times per day or whenever you get near any running water source as this kills the coronavirus.

“In this garden, we have that sanitiser there where we wash our hands as well as sanitising those customers who come here.

“We don’t allow customers to move around this garden aimlessly because anyone can sneeze at any minute, posing danger to others.”

He also said that they don’t carry their money home since it is closely guarded by the magical knife.

“We do not carry this full bag home since Madzibaba Nyamayaro’s apostolic knife guards and apprehends any thief.”

Machokoto however said business was low on lockdown.

“The market is low during this Covid-19 era but we trust this knife stuck on this tree as we collect about Z$500 daily plus those who buy with multicurrency like bond notes, and even EcoCash.

“We then share our daily income and leave it hanging on this tree as you can see.

“Madzibaba Nyamayaro’s apostolic knife will make you not leave this place with what you would have stolen and that grandmother from that house is a living example.

“She harvested the beans that was in that whole field behind you and she was caught here owing to Madzibaba Nyamayaro’s apostolic knife.

“I later believed in this knife because when Madzibaba starts doing his things on that stone before we go in the evening, you won’t see his shadow, and worse after apprehending this grandmother,” said Machokoto.

On why they do not bank such sums of cash, he blamed Covid-19 pandemic lockdown.

“We wanted to do that but due to the Covid-19 lockdown rules and regulations, let’s stay home and we will bank it later.”, said Machokoto.