Pastor Jane Nndwambi (53) of the Comfort Christian Worship Church in Dzimauli-Matshavhawe outside Mutale escaped death two weeks ago, when angry community members set alight her church, as well as the house she was staying in with three children.

A civic leader, Mercy Sigwadi, said the trouble started when Pastor Nndwambi invited a group of young children in her church to pray for and cure their diseases. They accused the pastor of kidnapping one of the young girls, adding that she then drew blood from the girl, using a syringe, called maginari in Tshivenda.

Some members claimed that they saw the pastor place the blood in a bottle and she apparently hid it inside her house. “We suspect the pastor drinks the blood and uses it for satanism. This cannot be the work of God; she is clearly working for the devil. Community members resolved that the pastor must not came back and stay in the village,” said Sigwadi.

Speaking telephonically from her hiding place, Nndwambi denied the allegations that she practices satanism in her church. She claims that she is "a servant of God who pray for and cure the sick people and nothing else. I never drank anyone’s blood. I suspect that those accusing me of working for the devil are jealous of my God-given talent of praying and curing sick people". She claimed the syringes are the emblem of the church and not used to draw the blood of people as people claimed.

W/O Tshilidzi Nnyambeni of the Mutale police said a case of arson had been opened, but no arrest had been made yet. He warned community members in Dzimauli village and surroundings that they must not take the law into their own hands and have to be patient and wait for the police to investigate the matter.