Family calls upon murdered teen to rise and fight

THE way we grieve, dispose of our dead and the rituals we perform at their grave sites vary greatly from culture to culture.

But a Bulawayo family recently shocked mourners when they took the funeral wake of their son to the next level of macabre when they performed a strange ritual by inserting a big kitchen knife tied with a red cloth on top of his grave while instructing his dead spirit to apparently "return" and allegedly torment his slayers.

The strange ritual was witnessed during the burial of a 17-year-old Bruce Mashoko recently of Makokoba who died after he was allegedly stabbed by a group of teenagers from nearby Burombo flats in a suspected fight over a girl.

Four of the alleged teen murderers namely Floyd Sibanda (18), Shelton Ndlovu (18) Sandile Makalima (18) and a 17-year-old boy whose name is being withheld for legal reasons have since been arrested and are now facing murder charges.

Bruce was reportedly stabbed once under his left breast and later died due to excessive bleeding.

The quartet together with some of their accomplices who are reportedly on the run allegedly ambushed Bruce while coming from his friend Brian Mutendahama's place of residence.

According to a video in possession of B-Metro Bruce's unidentified female relative who seemed to be in a trance is seen performing some stunning ritual-like antics moving around an open grave with a knife on her back.

She apparently led the hearse for a distance, while dragging the knife with a long red rope. The rope was tied to her waist.

While performing the incomprehensible ritual a group of other mourners believed to be Bruce's relatives are seen singing and dancing to a Shona song, "ndimi makauraya, ndimi makauraya" - literally meaning you are the ones who killed.

The song is apparently referring to the teenagers who are being accused of murdering Bruce.

Meanwhile, the family's strange ritual seems to come as a no surprise after Bruce's mother Grace Tshabangu declared that "poetic" justice would prevail to the boys who allegedly killed her son.

She said they would pay dearly for their "evil act".

"My son died a painful death. I am shocked especially looking at the circumstances surrounding his death. My prayers are that justice will prevail and the boys who killed my son should pay dearly for their evil acts" she was quoted by Chronicle as having said that during their initial coverage of Bruce's tragic death.

However, the chilling threat went a gear up during Bruce's burial when his relative who was rolling her eyes inserted a knife on top of the grave repeatedly saying, "Don't cry or be troubled by Bruce's tragic death. Yes we might have buried him now but everything is under control. He is in charge and he is going to take over. He is going to destroy (his killers) and on that one I assure you".

She further said Bruce's alleged murderers denied them the opportunity to see his offsprings after they killed him at a tender age.

Although the paper could not get a comment from the Mashoko family to ascertain the meaning of the bizarre acts and sentiments by Bruce's aunt, traditionalists said they apparently meant that the victim's alleged killers are going to be tormented by his avenging spirit which is traditionally known as ngozi/ingozi.

A local sangoma Khulu Agrippa Dhlamini said the act by Bruce's family was a ritual they performed instructing his dead spirit to come and haunt the people who allegedly killed him.

"While some rituals can involve something simple as silent and individual prayer, others strange like the one performed by the Mashoko family was meant to instruct their dead son's spirit to come and fight back, haunting and tormenting his killers."

"There is no doubt that if the families of those boys are being accused of killing Bruce fail to go and meet the Mashoko family to appease them for the injury they inflicted on them by killing their son their family members will be wiped out by Bruce's avenging spirit, or something bad will befall them," he said.