Villagers fleeced

Samuel Kadungure : Senior Reporter

THE tsikamutandas who are wreaking havoc and fleecing poverty stricken folks in Manicaland’s Nyanga district have been described as fong kongs who should be flushed out without delay.Both clergy and the traditional leaders have warned people not to be duped into believing that their problems can be solved by these crooks who promise unsuspecting villagers sudden wealth, health, peace and prosperity.

In a carefully orchestrated way, tsikamutandas have set up permanent residence in Samanyika Village in Nyanga where they have formed a syndicate with livestock buyers and butchery operators – who buy ill gotten livestock for a song.

Many families are now worse off and family ties have broken at the instigation of the tsikamutandas.

The tricksters first establish relationships with the local leadership, which then convince villagers that the quacks could solve their social and economic problems.

After agreeing to allow the witch-hunters to help, the victims then undergo a number of traditional cleansing ceremonies and consultations with alleged ancestors.

After undergoing the rituals in which the alleged ancestor then speaks to the victim from behind a curtain in a room, one is then implicated in witchcraft or ngozi.

The suspect and the one whose homestead has been cleansed are then asked to pay for the services in the form of livestock and cash.

Deeper Well Ministries founder Apostle Joel Manyange said since most poor black people believe in superstition and the powers of the ancestors, it created the perfect opportunity for unemployed local young con artists to take advantage.

“It is fake, absolute rubbish and just a means to survive in these hard economic times. There is nothing like spiritual or traditional power in what they do. It’s a bunch of clever youths who apply African philosophy to hoodwink their victims into believing that they can heal or address their social problems. Many young and desperate Zimbabweans are enticed to follow this road to riches,” said Apostle Manyange.

He said their powers are never questioned, which has made most unemployed and unskilled youths join the lucrative alternative healing market, promising the highly superstitious and poor heaven on earth.

“Those fake doctors are the young boys – who are in rhythm with the crop of young church leaders – who use raven head concoctions in the spiritual realm – to hoodwink their followers. Since these fake witch doctors and religious leaders did not find jobs, they began to imitate what their genuine counterparts do, thereby discrediting the noble practices. If people are told about their life they easily get brainwashed. They do not proffer solutions to the real challenges faced by those people. The community should be wary of such promises, as scams like these were rife in the country,” he added.

Apostle Manyange said  it was psychological warfare and  there was nothing spiritual or prophetic about their alleged wonders.

“They merely mix psychology and African philosophy to hoodwink community that is deeply imbedded in superstition. They are extortionists who use witchcraft to enrich themselves,” he said.

“They are taking advantage of the gullibility of communities that are academically inferior or backward to the extent brainwashing them by telling them a well researched history of their families. The targeted areas are often the weakest communities in Zimbabwe, and that is why their extortion adventure is so thriving,” said Apostle Manyange, adding that Christians in churches with sound doctrine and knowledge who hail from affected areas like Nyanga, Nzvimbe, Sherukuru and Mayo must educate their folks so that they do not fall prey to such shenanigans.

The Zimbabwe National Traditional Healers Association (Zinatha) president George Kandiero warned members of the public not to entertain witch-hunters or any traditional healers who do not have practising licences.

He said his association was constrained from taking action as the witch-hunters operated with the blessings of local leaders.

“They are quacks, and people should not entertain them,” he said.

Chiefs’ president Chief Fortune Charumbira said traditional leaders should not entertain witch-hunters as they have no right to rob poor villagers.

He lamented the deceitful ways used by witch-hunters to steal villagers’ livestock and property under the guise of cleansing homes and individuals they accuse of practising witchcraft.

Chief Charumbira said the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act had repealed the Witchcraft Suppression Act making it a crime to accuse someone of being a witch or wizard.

“We have an increase in cases of tsikamutandas across the country. It’s worrying because villagers are losing their property and livestock.

“We have chiefs who are welcoming such crooks and oversee their subjects being swindled of their hard earned property and livestock. It’s an offence for chiefs to entertain them and those found in the wrong risk having their court warrants and certificates withdrawn,” he said.

The chiefs’ court, said Chief Charumbira, should not be used by tsikamutandas adding that the practice was a miscarriage of justice.

“Chiefs can’t use their courts to determine matters to do with witchcraft. This unfair victimisation of villagers should stop henceforth.

“The Ministry of Justice will withdraw the licences of the chiefs found wanting. We need to do away with these crooks who are terrorising villagers,” he said.

The tsikamutandas, who are barely 30 and spot dreadlocks, live flamboyantly – they drive the latest cars, stay in the affluent suburbs and rule the night life for the few weekends they retreat to town.

One of their victims Tendai Manyau, accused them of destroying his family.

Manyau was implicated in the murder of Tichafa Karera, who died by drowning in 2001.

“I was wrongly accused of killing him and slicing his private parts to enhance a grinding mill business. I disputed the allegations, but the mob was agitated and compelled me to admit to the hallucinations.

“I was told to stop wasting sekuru’s time as he had a lot of people to help. The said ngozi demanded to be appeased by a girl, boy, and 15 cattle, by December 31, 2016. It is outrageous and it has created a rift between me and my family,” said Manyau.

The case has since been reported and Manyau will appear before Chief Saunyama next Friday.