Elder keeps driver’s blood in gourd

Ray Bande Senior Reporter
THE death of Tatenda Makono, the driver of a kombi that was involved in an accident that killed 15 people in Zimunya last year, barely a month after his sister had died after a short illness, plunged the Makono family into a witch-hunt stunt that exposed a relentless avenging spirit haunting them as well as use of fortune enhancing charms by the elderly in the family.

A scary account of how the late Tatenda’s blood was being kept in a gourd in one of the family elder’s bedroom was narrated when The Weekender visited the Makono homestead upon their return from Mozambique where they had successfully paid reparations to appease the avenging spirit that was haunting the family.

The Makono family of Mushunje Village in Mutare District has been dealing with one misfortune after the other until the death of Tatenda (27) during that fatal accident in Zimunya last year eventually led the family into seeking spiritual guidance.

Tabitha Makono, sister to the late Tatenda, said the death of his brother as well as that of her sister, let alone other misfortunes prompted the family to seek spiritual guidance.

“We have been experiencing a wide range of misfortunes as a family and for a long time we have been silent about it. It was only after the death of Tatenda, my bother, which came barely a month after my sister, Catherine died when she complained of numbness in the feet.

“It was just too much for us that we then decided to seek spiritual guidance and that is how we came across Bishop Mapuranga of Kutenda Kwavapostori Church.

“Our father is late and we are only five in the family. We challenged the elders in the family to join us in a witch-hunt exercise since it was clear to us that there is much more to our challenges than just natural life challenges.

“They did not buy the idea at first, but we remained adamant that we should. They later gave in. We consulted several spiritual specialists who failed us until we came across Bishop Mapuranga, who assisted us greatly to solve our family problem.

“He was able to decipher that the family was being haunted by an avenging spirit of a Mozambican farm labourer, Arumando, who died while our great grandfather owed him 12 beasts in unpaid wages. Through the works of Bishop Mapuranga we managed to travel to Mozambique where we were made to pay six beasts after manifestations of the deceased Mozambican,” she said.

Tabitha said through Bishop Mapuranga it was also revealed that the late Tatenda’s blood was being kept in a gourd in one of the family elder’s bedroom.

“Apart from the avenging spirit of the Mozambican labourer, it was also revealed that an elder within the family, Edias Makono had the late Tatenda’s blood in his house. His son, Albert was actually the one who was instructed to pull out the sack that contained the gourd. It was burnt.

“Another elder, Elmon Makono also had a thokoloshi that he acquired from Chipinge during the days that he worked in that area way back in the 60s,” she said.

Elmon Makono confirmed having acquired a thokoloshi from a traditional healer in the Chipangayi area of Chipinge during the days that he worked in that area.

“Yes, I did that when I was quite young after being influenced by my friends. I wanted to enhance my chances of getting a better job. The thokoloshi was burnt after Bishop Mapuranga instructed us to do so,” he said.

Asked about how the blood of an accident victim would find its way into a gourd at their homestead and his experiences in assisting the Makono family, Bishop Mapuranga said: “This was a cumbersome task. We found ourselves travelling to Mozambique, enduring the rains all in the name of assisting the affected family.

“It is true that the blood of the deceased man was in the gourd kept at their elderly relative’s home.

“The thing is that when these elderly people go out there to seek money spinning charms they are given two sticks that later mysteriously turn into human being like creatures.

“This normally occurs after failure to adhere to prescribed principles. These are the creatures that could go on errands to suck blood or any other sinister acts.”