A dramatic legal and spiritual battle over the remains of Peter Jack Masedza, widely known as Johane Masowe, has taken another major twist after the High Court temporarily halted his planned exhumation and reburial.
By Advent Shoko
The dispute, which has stretched over several years, centres on whether the late church founder should remain buried at the Gandanzara Shrine in Rusape, where he was laid to rest in 1973, or be reburied at a site chosen by his biological sons.
The legal journey began to intensify on February 21, 2025, when the Gospel of God Church International (GOGCI) took its fight to the Supreme Court after the High Court affirmed the rights of Johane Masowe’s sons, Magaga and Reuben Masedza, to seek exhumation through lawful procedures.
At the time, the court made it clear that while the sons had the right to pursue the matter, the actual exhumation could only be authorised by the relevant Government authorities under the law.
That battle reached a key milestone on December 9, 2025, when the Supreme Court dismissed the church’s appeal, effectively clearing the legal path for the family to proceed with administrative processes.
Momentum then shifted further in favour of the family on March 28, 2026, when authorities formally cleared the way for the exhumation after confirming that all legal and public health requirements had been met.
A formal notice dated March 25, 2026, advised the church that the exhumation had been scheduled for April 2, 2026 at the Gandanzara Shrine in Makoni District.
The sons have consistently argued that their father deserves to be reburied in a place that is more accessible to his family.
However, for the church’s thousands of followers, the shrine is far more than a gravesite.
It remains the spiritual heart of the movement founded by Johane Masowe and a sacred pilgrimage destination for worshippers from across the region.
The matter took another unexpected turn in April 2026 after the church successfully obtained a High Court order suspending the exhumation.
The church argues that the Government authorised the process without giving it a fair hearing and insists that the shrine’s sacred religious significance cannot be ignored.
The case is now set for hearing tomorrow, with the future of one of Zimbabwe’s most revered religious shrines hanging in the balance.
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