The ManicaPost
Tendai Gukutikwa
Weekender Reporter
A NYANGA man is grappling with a perplexing and heartbreaking ordeal after his worst nightmare unfolded when his child who had mysteriously vanished from school was found dead at a nearby river.
Gripped by grief and desperation, the father, Maxwell Mandisi is now pointing accusing fingers at his late father’s brothers for their alleged involvement in the child’s death.
He claims that his uncles, Cephas and Onias Mandisi’s wizardry caused the death of his son, Misheck.
He further claimed that they possess a calabash half full of blood, which still needs more blood.
Maxwell said he got that information from white garment prophets.
The accusations have sent shockwaves in the Mandisi community under Chief Saunyama in Nyanga, sparking fervent discussions and speculation.
This forced Maxwell to drag his uncles, Cephas and Onias Mandisi to Chief Saunyama’s court where the traditional leader quizzed the family on why they were not taking any action to ascertain the truth surrounding the child’s death.
Maxwell said he did not know how his child died at the river when he was supposed to be in school on the fateful morning.
“The post mortem confirmed his cause of death as drowning. How he got to the river when everyone was in school is a puzzle.
“I am devastated, reason why I approached my uncles so that we could consult traditional healers or prophets to ascertain the truth.
“However, they are all turning a deaf ear to my plea.
“I am convinced that they have something to do with my child’s mysterious death,” he said.
Maxwell also said his uncles have since stopped picking up his calls, arguing that he is pestering them to consult traditional healers, when they are devoted Christians.
“I lost my child in the most painful way. This is a daily torture, but my uncles are reluctant to assist me to bring to closure this tragedy.
“I approached them during my son’s funeral and begged them to lead the family in consulting healers so that we ascertain what had killed their grandchild. They told me that since time immemorial, people have been dying mysteriously in the family in their numbers, and my son’s death was not special.
“I also approached my elder brother, Onias for assistance and he told me to consult healers with our mother.
“I approached five prophets who told me that one of my uncles had a goblin that was causing all these family deaths,” said Maxwell.
He claimed that after consulting white garment prophets, he was told that he was the next target on his uncles’ death list because of his boldness to challenge them.
“I am now living in fear for my life. I am now a regular visitor to prophets’ shrines because I do not want to die before I find out who killed my son.
“After I challenged them, I have been waking up to mysterious one dollar notes on my doorstep on different mornings. How can I not be afraid of losing my life when I was told by some healers that the culprits have a calabash half full of blood? They are baying for my blood,” charged Maxwell.
“When my father was bedridden, we consulted some healers who told us that his brother had harvested his blood and put it a clay pot so that he could die. My uncles never visited my father while he was on his deathbed.
“Surprisingly, they were the first to attend his funeral. They are now accusing my late father of wizardly because he cannot defend himself,” added Maxwell.
Cephas insisted that his hands were clean.
He claimed that his social standing in the community was tarnished because of the accusations.
“We consulted a traditional healer in Maxwell’s absence, and we were told that my late brother (Maxwell’s father) and the late boy’s namesake, Misheck, was the one who acquired the blood thirsty goblin tormenting the family.
“Maxwell thinks it was his father who had acquired this goblin and that his son died because of his father’s sins. He is now pointing to us as evil.
“He has teamed up with other family members to accuse us of wizardly. I am now being labelled a wizard in the whole village as they were told that I killed the young Misheck,” said Cephas.
He, however, said he could not speak on behalf of his brothers who claim to be born again Christians and refusing to consult healers over the matter.
In his ruling, Chief Saunyama ordered the whole Mandisi family to consult traditional healers over Misheck’s mysterious death.
“Even those who claim to be Christians should join hands with other family members to ascertain the truth.
“We will get to the bottom of this matter. We need to know what caused Misheck’s death and justice should prevail,” he said.
Chief Saunyama adjourned the matter to March 8.
