The ManicaPost
Tendai Gukutikwa
Weekender Reporter
AN 18-YEAR-OLD Zimunya teenager who was reportedly married off to a goblin by her grandfather is living hell on earth as the goblin wants her to remain a virgin and fights off any ‘rival suitors’.
Tatenda Katandike was recently dumped at her family’s home in Katandika Village by her in-laws, barely two weeks after she had eloped to her lover in Chivhu.
“A goblin manifested on Tatenda as soon as she and her new husband were given a room to consummate their new marriage. The goblin attacked the man and demanded that he leaves her alone. It told him that Tatenda was his wife from birth and no other man should touch her,” narrated Tatenda’s aunt, Rose Katandike at Acting Chief Zimunya’s court last Sunday.
“Tatenda eloped to her fiancé, Tinashe Mugandayi’s home in Chivhu in June. The marriage failed to last two weeks as her in-laws brought her back with both hands and legs bonded. They demanded that we take her for spiritual cleansing. They argued that a goblin that claims to be her husband is tormenting her,” she said.
Her uncle, Andrew Katandike begged Acting Chief Zimunya to assist them, saying they had consulted spiritual healers who revealed that their late grandfather, George Murapata Katandike had married Tatenda’s late mother to a goblin before the ‘marriage’ was transferred to the teenager upon her mother’s death.
George Murapata Katandike was a well-known traditional healer who also sold goblins which are now wreaking havoc in his family.
The late grandfather is also accused of sorcery and causing deaths in the family.
“We are the only three adults left within the Katandike family, and it is common knowledge in this area that we have more graves than people at our home. We were told it was George who killed people to feed his blood thirsty goblins. When he died, his goblins went on a rampage, killing people, even those who were not in line of death that year,” narrated Andrew.
He also told the court that the spiritual healer they consulted told them that if the issue is not resolved, Tatenda will remain single for the rest of her life just like her late mother.
Asked on what happened to her when she arrived in Chivhu, Tatenda said all hell broke loose when she was allocated a room with her new husband.
“For the first week, everything was normal as I shared a room with my husband’s sisters. However, I was later allocated my own bedroom and was instructed to sweep it. I took the broom and as soon as I entered the room, I felt that something had changed. Something inside me would not let me get inside.
“That night when we retired to bed and when my husband entered the room, all hell broke loose. I could not control myself and ruthlessly attacked him. I was later told that I would utter that I am a goblin’s wife and Tinashe (her husband) should not touch me. As soon as he left the room, everything went back to normal,” she said.
This continued happened the following nights.
However, things took a dramatic twist when the new bride demanded to be taken back to her home while attacking everyone at her in-laws’ home.
They had to bond her hands and legs and took her back home.
“When she was brought home, she was behaving like a mentally ill person. She regained her senses when she stepped foot on our homestead. We are asking for this court’s intervention as our late grandfather is still attacking us from his grave,” said another family member, Paul Katandike.
They were ordered to raise money to consult three traditional healers.
“It is clear that Tatenda has a goblin as a husband. We need to find out why your grandfather married her off to the goblin. We also need to know why he is still killing people from the grave and if the family owed him anything.
“This is why these community courts are there, you will get the necessary assistance. However, when next such things happen, you need to consult early. Do not bottle problems, you will all perish,” ruled Acting Chief Zimunya.
