The ManicaPost
SINCE the beginning of the year, the country has witnessed gory ritual murder cases whereby victims, especially children, had their body parts harvested.
Those privy to such practices say ritual murders are a form of human sacrifice that is practiced by some tribes.
They suggest that the murder is carried out after body parts are removed while the victim is still alive.
It is an unimaginable painful death which brings chills down the spine of any level-headed person.
More often than not, when perpetrators of these violent murders are arrested, there they mention names of traditional healers who would have asked them to collect the body parts for certain rituals.
It therefore follows that the end to these senseless killings lies squarely on effecting a paradigm shift in the way some of our traditional healers carry out their activities.
A few months ago, President Mnangagwa asked traditional leaders to be at the forefront in curbing these ritual killings.
He said as the custodians of the country’s culture, the traditional leaders should shun ritual killings and the kidnapping of children.
“The values of respect and honour must be promoted while our chiefs and traditional leaders must continue to dissuade our people to shun these so-called ritual practices.
The killing of our children is not acceptable,” he said.
Manicaland has its own share of these evil practices that have ravaged communities and brought about panic and uncertainty among members of the public.
Parents in Mutare, Mutasa, Chipinge and Buhera have resorted to escorting their children to school due to the high prevalence of suspected ritual killings in those districts.
In Mutasa, the memories of two Benza cousins who were murdered is still fresh in the minds of many.
The brutal killings shocked many and sent parents into panic mode.
Villagers in Chigodora have also had sad chapters due to the suspected ritual killings in their area.
Residents in Mutare’s Dangamvura recently meted out instant justice on a woman who had allegedly snatched a child from a vending stall while the mother was away.
The case generated immense interest as the public wondered what her intentions with the child had been.
In all these cases, several suspects have been arrested and brought before the courts.
However, the bulk of these cases are yet to be concluded due to lack of evidence.
Law enforcement agents and the courts need to ensure that all those involved are brought to book.
A few years ago, police in Tanzania arrested more than 60 sangomas who were implicated in the murder of the albino population in the country as they were being targeted for ritual purposes.
It was a bold move that helped reduce the killings.
Similarly, local traditional healers who are asking their clients to kill children and bring their body parts in order to perform outlandish rituals for self enrichment must be arrested.
The traditional healers, the business people involved and the killers contracted for the dirty job are guilty of the same offence.
Punitive sentences must be handed down on those found guilty as this will send a strong signal to those who might want to follow suit.
