Sangoma unleashes snakes on ‘patient'

In a spine-chilling episode, a traditional healer allegedly inflicted incisions on his patient with a razor blade and sucked the blood, before unleashing snakes to also suck the blood in a cleansing ceremony, a court heard yesterday.

Lyton Wisick (41), a Malawian staying illegally in the country, allegedly raped the 35-year-old woman while his two cobra snakes slithered around after she failed to raise $1 800 for the "cleansing".

He also took the woman's household property that included a stove, a television set , home theatre, decoder, kitchen unit and a blanket to settle the "debt" after he "removed" an object from her stomach.

Wisick yesterday appeared before Ms Barbra Chimboza charged with rape.

He also stands accused of stealing a radio valued at $350, which he took from another client who wanted spiritual help.

Wisick also faces another charge of contravening the Wildlife Act after he was found in possession of the two snakes.

He was remanded in custody to April 19.

Sometime last month, the complainant, who had marital and business problems, approached Wisick who promised to assist.

The prosecutor Mr Sebastian Mutizirwa alleged that Wisick ordered the woman to pay a consultation fee of $10 before ordering her to remove her blouse.

Wisick allegedly took a razor blade and inflicted incisions on her hands, chest and waist and started sucking the blood coming out of the cuts.

He then showed the woman a hairy object, which he said was from her stomach.

The court heard that Wisick took two snakes from a bag which was in the room and made them suck the blood from the cuts.

He then told her she was supposed to pay $250 for the removal of the object from her stomach.

The woman gave him $75, but failed to raise the balance.

Wisick told her to return for further cleansing, where he instructed her to remove her clothes, before washing her body with water mixed with traditional herbs.

It is the State's case that Wisick told the woman that the water she had bathed in was going to be drunk by the snakes.

He told her that he needed $1 800 to destroy the object he had removed from her stomach.

On March 26, Wisick phoned the woman inquiring about his money, but she told him she was failing to raise the amount.

They agreed that the woman cede her property to cover the debt and told her the goods now belonged to the snakes, hence, she could not reclaim them.

Wisick allegedly ordered the woman to return the following day for further cleansing, where he raped her on the floor, with the snakes moving around the room.

On the other case facing Wisick, a Harare man, Mr Henry Harrison, lost his radio worth $350 to the traditional healer.

Mr Harrison allegedly visited Wisick to get lucky charms to boost his business and was ordered to pay a consultation fee of $100.

It is the State's case that when he returned to Wisick's house the following day to get the charms, he was advised to pay a further $1 200.

Mr Harrison failed to raise the money and decided to give Wisick his radio, but he was not given the medicine.