'Possessed' woman stabs self to death, resurrects

A 24-year-old woman from Bulawayo suspected to be possessed by a demon allegedly stabbed herself, died, rose from the dead and is battling for her life at Mpilo Central Hospital's intensive care unit.

The woman is a member of the Seventh Day Adventist Church and has reportedly been in the ICU since Wednesday last  week.

A source close to the incident yesterday said the woman stabbed herself in the stomach while she was in Binga and was rushed to hospital with her intestines hanging out.

"She was possessed sometime last week while in Binga and allegedly stabbed herself in the stomach and disembowelled herself. She fell into a fire and was allegedly pronounced dead.

"However, after a while she mysteriously rose again and was ferried to Mpilo Central Hospital where she is being treated in the Intensive Care Unit," said a man who refused to be identified.

It could not be established who actually declared her dead although this is the news making the rounds within the family circles.

"I have heard many weird stories about this woman and the last time I heard there were attempts to cast out the demon which left her and soon after besieged her again."

A church member who refused to be identified confirmed that the woman was possessed by a demon and that she usually assaults people when the demon attacks her.

"She has been a church member for a while and it is believed that she is possessed by a demon. At one time she assaulted people who were near her and threw herself against walls.

"Last week, I was told she had died after sustaining self-inflicted deep stomach wounds when the demons possessed her. I was very shocked a day after when a different message came saying she was not dead but critically ill and admitted at Mpilo Central Hospital's Intensive Care Unit," said the man.

Contacted for comment, the woman's father, who refused to identify himself, declined to comment on the matter saying the family wanted nothing to do with the media.

"We do not have anything to say about this issue because it is very sensitive. Actually we first want to deal with your source. Who told you that or you can always ask from the person since he or she appears to know more about her than us.

"I am so disappointed in how you are handling this matter and as a family we will look for the person who told you the story and deal with him or her.

"We have nothing to say to you," said another woman who identified herself as the woman's aunt.

Efforts to get a comment from Mpilo chief executive officer Dr Wedu Ndebele were fruitless as he was unreachable.

A source within the hospital, who cannot be named for professional reasons, confirmed that the woman had been admitted into the hospital's ICU for six days but could not give further details.

The source indicated that no residential address had been given even on her hospital cards.

Matabeleland provincial police spokesperson, Inspector Siphiwe Makonese, had not come back with a response by the time of going to press as the man identified as the woman's father had said the matter was reported to police in Binga.

Comments