Tanzanian 'miracle' pastor Mwasapile is died

ARUSHA, Tanzania

The retired Tanzanian priest of the Lutheran Church who used a tree known as mugariga to make a non-flavored drink administered to thousands of patients with various chronic diseases has died.

Reverend Ambilikile Mwasapile (86) died Friday July 30 at Digodigo health centre after a short illness.

One of his longtime assistant, Paul Dudui told our reporter confirmed the death. "It is true, the old man has passed on and we are waiting for his body her at the mortuary." Dudui said.

He said that his burial processes will supervised by the Ngorongoro district government considering his contribution to the community.

The 'Miarcle' pastor lived in Samunge village in Loliondo, near Ngorongoro in northern Tanzania, an area marked by the proximity of the world-famous Ngorongoro Crater, a volcanic mountain top depression and game park with various big game.

In 2011, Reverend Mwasapile told people  that he had a vision in which he was instructed by God to make the potion he administered. 

His vision was of a tree that provided medicine and that many people would come to be healed. 

Upon waking, in the daily routine that followed, he claimed to have met a woman who had HIV, and she told him that she came for medicine. Rev. Mwasapile claims to have followed a vision, gone into the bush, and taken portions of the tree as directed.

Reports of healing from his potion spread, and he began to sell the concoction at a price of 500 Shillings ($0.21) per mug. 

At one point in 2011 the treatment was quite popular, although its popularity trailed off when it became clear that the potion was not the cure-all many thought it to be.

Newspapers reports regularly picked up what notable visitor had been to the place; notables who have visited him include legislators and cabinet ministers locally, and scores of personalities from Eastern Africa, among are cited the wife of former DR Congo Joseph Kabila. 

There were many reports in the local dailies in Kenya of many politicians and ordinary citizens who chartered helicopters and vans to transport people to Loliondo. 

The small sleepy town was alive with long queues of people all yearning for that one mug of herbal concoction.