The ManicaPost
Tendai Gukutikwa
Weekender Reporter
A MUTAMBARA man’s attempt to dispose his goblin and witchcraft paraphernalia in the river hit a snag after the things mysteriously re-appeared at the home of a traditional healer he had never met, 120km away from his own home.
After being discarded in Umvumvumvu River under Chief Mutambara’s area by Sekuru Oliver Mutukuwe (90), the bag mysteriously appeared that same day in Chikonzo Village in Derembwe under Chief Marange’s area.
The two areas are not even linked by a river.
When the traditional healer, Mbuya Bhora, saw the bag at her homestead, she then sent a messenger to Sekuru Mutukuwe to tell him that his “parcel” had been well received.
The matter was revealed before Acting Chief Mutambara’s court last week on Saturday as the Mutukuwes were accusing Sekuru Matukuwe of using wealth enhancing charms.
Sekuru Mutukuwe’s grandson, Edmore Mutukuwe said the mysterious sickness, deaths and bad luck rocking their family is a result of his grandfather’s shenanigans.
“We need to consult traditional healers over this issue. Two family members recently died under unclear circumstances and we are beginning to suspect that our grandfather’s strange paraphernalia caused their deaths. All along we did not know that he was in possession of such things,” he said.
Edmore said the family only got to know about the mysterious bag after someone tipped off the chief’s court.
“Had he told us about the bag, we would not be here today. We just want him to tell us the truth,” said Edmore.
The nonagenarian, however, was reluctant to reveal how he had discarded the bag.
However, he revealed that after receiving the bag, Mbuya Bhora, whom he had never met before, sent a messenger to tell him that the package he had sent had arrived safely.
He said he has no idea how the bag ended up at Mbuya Bhora’s place.
“A young lady arrived at my home and said she had been sent by her grandmother to deliver a special message to me. She said I should travel with her back to Marange. We had to board three buses to get to their home.
“My brother escorted me and when we arrived there, we were shocked to see that the bag I had dumped in the river was at her home. It was not wet or damaged, everything was intact.
“I am still in shock because she knew my full name, including my nickname and where I stay. She told me that the wandering spirit (shavi) that I had been using all along to enhance my wealth was her relative’s, only identified as Zephaniah,” said Sekuru Mutukuwe.
Mbuya Bhora demanded a payment of five cattle from Sekuru Mutukuwe as she accused him of using her dead relative’s spirit to enrich himself.
The old man concurred and gave Mbuya Bhora the cattle.
“The woman demanded to know why I was throwing away her dead relative’s spirit after decades of using it to enrich myself without paying him or his family. I was afraid that something would happen to me if I did not pay her the cattle,” he said.
He, however, denied causing the countless deaths, illnesses and bad luck within his family.
He said the wandering spirit only benefited him through enhancing his wealth and protecting him from evil spirits.
He narrated how he accepted Zephaniah’s spirit into his life back in the days.
“When I was still in my 20s, a traditional healer told me that a wandering spirit was haunting me and that for it to stop, I had to perform some rituals.
“Everything went according to the script all these years. However, when I consulted a prophet last month over some family sickness, I was told that the wandering spirit was actually a goblin and that it was the one behind the sickness. I was advised to get rid of the spirit by throwing the bag into the river,” he said.
Acting Chief Mutambara ordered the family to seek spiritual counsel.
The matter was adjourned to September 30.
