By Rex Mphisa
THE murder trial of self-styled Beitbridge prophet Daniel Chamisa aka Madzibaba Weslodge was in a false start in the Bulawayo High Court on Monday (22/062026) when both him and his lawyer failed to attend to court due to illnesses.
A relative of the deceased who travelled solely for the trial said both him and his lawyer whose name could not be established had not come to court where an excuse they are sick was given.
“The trial was given another date. I am still trying to locate the prosecutor to find when,” said the relative. They did not know under which judge the case was to be heard.
Chamisa allegedly murdered then popular Beitbridge money changer, Ashton Manga at a shrine and stole US$2 500 and ZAR 18 000 from the corpse.
He has been in custody since the day he handed himself to police “to cleanse his name” and a bail application made at the Masvingo High Court was thrown out by Justice Christopher Dube-Banda.
Then Justice Dube-Banda concluded that Chamisa was a flight risk after he stole a vehicle to escape arrest in Beitbridge and lied that he did not know Manga neither had he ever met him though he allegedly struck him at the back of the head with a stone.
Chamisa allegedly murdered Manga on December 2, 2025, around 3pm at his shrine at Waterworks River behind Eastlea Suburbs.
Circumstances are that Manga hired a taxi driven by Tibias David to drop him off at the shrine from Beitbridge Spur Complex.
The driver left Manga at the shrine where Chamisa was supposed to pray for him.
The State alleges that Manga knelt down in a praying position and that is when Chamisa struck him on the back of the head with a stone.
Chamisa went on to steal US$2 500 and ZAR 18 000, alleges the State.
Friends and family searched for Manga and could not find him. Chamisa was the last person seen with him.
Manga’s friends and family confronted Chamisa and he allegedly told them that he did not know Manga and he had never met him.
Chamisa stole a vehicle near his shrine two days later on December 4 intending to escape to Harare. The vehicle developed a fault along Beitbridge-Masvingo highway and Chamisa dumped it.
Manga’s body was found near Chamisa’s shrine on December 8, in an advanced state of decomposition.
Chamisa surrendered himself to Beitbridge Police on December 11 2025 and was arrested.
For the bail application his lawyer was Omen Mafa of Mutendi, Mudisi and Shumba.