The ManicaPost
Tendai Gukutikwa
Post Correspondent
For the past few years, a suspected avenging spirit has allegedly been attacking a Marange family with family members being pelted by stones, while invisible beings are biting, pinching and assaulting them.
The invisible beings are also reportedly taking food from the children’s plates.
As if that is not enough, family members’ clothes are catching mysterious fires.
This has resulted in 20 members of the Chikukwa family — most of them minor children — deserting their homes for a small hovel to protect themselves.
The stranger than fiction incidents are happening in Masasi Village under Chief Marange’s area in Mutare District.
The family now fears for their lives as the stones attacking them have transformed from pebbles to large rocks with the passage of time.
When they are in the hovel, they cover their bodies with thick blankets to avoid injuries.
Mr Webster Chikukwa (44), whose sons Wellington (20) and Washington (15) were the first to be attacked by the stones in 2019, said they had resigned to fate.
When The Manica Post visited the family on Wednesday, the interview was interrupted on countless occasions as stones rained on the family members.
Our news crew was spared.
Wellington, who is said to be the main victim of the raining stones, was asked to stand just outside the homestead and as expected, the stones followed him there, affording the news crew an opportunity to quickly interview the other family members.
The news crew was instructed to leave its vehicle at a neighbour’s homestead, a safe distance from the stones, because when it comes to vehicles, the stones have no boundaries.
“At one time when I was in Buhera at a prophet’s shrine, we slept in a vehicle and it was damaged by the stones,” said Mr Chikukwa.
He said when the stones started raining on his family, he was working in Mutare while his children stayed alone in the village.
They thought someone was playing tricks on them.
However, when the stones followed them to school, they discovered that something was terribly wrong.
“It started with pebbles. After a time, rocks followed Wellington, even at school.
‘‘The stones would destroy our home, including the roofs. The attacks are unrelenting. We have been to a lot of prophets, but the stones follow us there. In fact, the prophets who have tried to assist us have also been attacked. We sold the only cow we had in an effort to solve this problem, but nothing has changed,” said Mr Chikukwa.
“The stones have been following and attacking everyone wherever we go. It got worse for Wellington and I had to leave my job in Mutare to come and be with my family in these trying times.
‘‘The stones are destroying our houses. As if that is not enough, our clothes also catch fire out of the blue,” he said.
Mr Chikukwa’s two sons have since dropped out of school due to the danger they posed to other children at Masasi High School.
Wellington was in Form Three, while Washington was in Form One when they dropped out of school.
Narrating his ordeal to The Manica Post, Wellington said it was torrid for him to watch his friends being caught in the stones’ crossfire at school.
“The stones would just rain on everybody, but the pinching, biting and assaults from the invisible beings were only directed at me.
‘‘I would cry out loudly and people would just stare at me without offering any help.
“My teacher is the one who advised me to inform my parents of what was happening to me at school. I have never set foot at school again,” he said.
“The classroom was torture for me. The attacks were worse in class, even for my younger brother. We both dropped out in March last year,” he said.
A teacher at Masasi High School, Mr Matthew Rwanga, confirmed that the Chikukwa brothers’ learning was disrupted by the raining stones.
“Wellington would scream out of nowhere, claiming that he was being assaulted.
“It was clear that something was happening and that he needed help. It’s sad that he ended up dropping out of school,” said Mr Rwanga.
Mr Chikukwa’s sister-in-law, Ms Georgina Mugova, said they have resorted to hand-feeding their children in an effort to solve the issue of food disappearance in their plates.
“We realised that something was taking food from the children’s plates and we started feeding them while guarding the plates and that has since solved the problem.
‘‘However, we cannot continue hand-feeding all the 13 children every day,” said Ms Mugova.
Ms Violet Binze also said her three children complain of being pinched and bitten.
“I never see the person doing it, but I see bite and pinch marks on my children’s bodies,” she said.
On Thursday (yesterday), a day after the visit to the Chikukwa homestead, Mr Chikukwa called The Manica Post to say they had spent the night in the field as the attacks has worsened following our news crews’ departure.
“It was worse last night. It is like the spirit was punishing us for talking to you guys.
‘‘Large rocks were thrown at us and they infiltrated our thick blankets. I have cuts on my ear and my back from the attacks. We slept in the field with all the children. Please help our family,” he said.
Mr Chikukwa appealed to anyone who might have the means to assist his family to come forward.
The family is also in dire need of food to feed its 13 children who are between the ages of two and 18.
The matter appeared before Chief Marange and it was heard that Mr Chikukwa’s cousin, Mr Vincent Chikukwa, allegedly murdered the late Mr Rimen Jaramani while panning for gold in Odzi in 2019.
It is suspected that Mr Jaramani’s spirit is causing the havoc being experienced in the Chikukwa family.
The Chikukwa family’s patriach, Mr Benjamin Chikukwa, paid an admission of guilt fine of three beasts to Chief Marange.
Headman Nemasasi confirmed this, stating that the avenging spirit is asking for seven herd of cattle and five goats from the Chikukwa family.
“The Chikukwas have agreed to appease the avenging spirit. I gave them two days to do that and they should be back here on Saturday because they are being attacked by the stones day and night.
‘‘We all fear for their lives. Something needs to be done as soon as yesterday,” he said.
On Thursday (yesterday), a day after the visit to the Chikukwa homestead, Mr Chikukwa called The Manica Post to say they had spent the night in the field as the attacks has worsened following our news crews’ departure.
“It was worse last night. It is like the spirit was punishing us for talking to you guys. Large rocks were thrown at us and they infiltrated our thick blankets. I have cuts on my ear and my back from the attacks. We slept in the field with all the children. Please help our family,” he said.
Mr Chikukwa appealed to anyone who might have the means to assist his family to come forward.
The family is also in dire need of food to feed its 13 children who are between the ages of two and 18.
The matter appeared before Chief Marange and it was heard that Mr Chikukwa’s cousin, Mr Vincent Chikukwa, allegedly murdered the late Mr Rimen Jaramani while panning for gold in Odzi in 2019.
It is suspected that Mr Jaramani’s spirit is causing the havoc being experienced in the Chikukwa family.
The Chikukwa family’s patriach, Mr Benjamin Chikukwa, paid an admission of guilt fine of three beasts to Chief Marange.
Headman Nemasasi confirmed this, stating that the avenging spirit is asking for seven herd of cattle and five goats from the Chikukwa family.
“The Chikukwas have agreed to appease the avenging spirit. I gave them two days to do that and they should be back here on Saturday because they are being attacked by the stones day and night. We all fear for their lives. Something needs to be done as soon as yesterday,” he said.
