The ManicaPost
Tendai Gukutikwa
Weekender Correspondent
A NYANGA man was left homeless after his entire homestead was razed down by a mysterious fire which started in broad daylight after he had been warned of the event by spiritual healers.
After the fire, he decommissioned the grinding mill and dumped it in nearby bushes since the family that sold him the mill was refusing to take it back.
Phillip Mafemera of Mazarura Village in Nyanga and his family believe the fire which engulfed their property was caused by a grinding mill he bought from a neighbour in 2019.
Buildings that were reduced to shells include his bedroom, granary and the structure which housed the grinding mill.
The family also lost the grain that was in the granary.
The elderly Mafemera claims that the grinding mill was behind the mysterious occurrences at his home and the fire was the final straw.
The matter was recently revealed at acting Chief Saunyama’s court after Charles Chibvuri caught Mafemera performing rituals with maize-meal at his house and dragged him to court.
Mafemera did not deny the allegations and said he was forced to conduct the rituals after the Chibvuri family had refused to take back their ‘cursed’ grinding mill.
“For two years, they have been refusing to take back their grinding mill even though it was causing mysterious things at my home. Every night, I would see the shadow of a man at the grinding mill. We have endured the scary occurrences for a long time. The shadow acts as someone guarding the grinding mill. At times the shadow would chase us,” claimed Mafemera.
He said despite all this, the Chibvuri family would not take back the grinding mill.
“The grinding mill never worked ever since I bought it. Mechanics would tell me that it was in perfect working condition, but it still did not work. That is when I consulted spiritual healers who told me that there was need for spiritual cleansing as the grinding mill was cursed. They are the ones who told me that there was a shadow watching me ever since I bought the grinding mill,” said Mafemera.
He said after the Chibvuris refused to take back the grinding mill, Madzibaba Anthony Chirangeni instructed him to take grounded maize-meal to Chibvuri’s home and perform some spiritual rituals there.
“The healer told me that the grinding mill was telling him that if nothing was done to return it to its rightful owner, someone would die in my family.
“The rituals helped. I was caught conducting the rituals and fined by the chief, but he also instructed the Chibvuris to take back their grinding mill. By conducting the rituals, I averted death in my family,” he said.
The Chibvuri family was also ordered to restitute the three cattle used by Mafemera to buy the grinding mill.
However, Mafemera was fined six beasts for performing rituals at a neighbour’s homestead without their consent.
In an interview with Weekender, Chibvuri denied the allegations that his family sold Mafemera a cursed grinding mill.
He said his family should not have been made to give back the three beasts that Mafemera used to pay for the grinding mill.
“He used the grinding mill since 2019 and now he wants his cattle back. That is not fair at all. We should have been ordered to give him back part of the payment that he made because he used the grinding mill for two years. He is also lying that the grinding mill caused mysterious occurrences at his home. The truth is that he can no longer afford to maintain it.
“When he bought the grinding mill it was in perfect working condition. He bought it from my father and I think he should have returned it to him and not to me as he is still alive. He came to my house disguised as a visitor and when I went to fetch him water, he went behind my house where I caught him conducting some rituals with maize-meal,” said Chibvuri.
