Sangoma unleashes baboon on defaulting clients?

A SELF-STYLED traditional healer in Zvishavane has reportedly caused a rift with his clients following chilling reports that he was allegedly unleashing a baboon-like creature to customers who have defaulted or neglected paying for the services he rendered to them.

According to unconfirmed reports the traditional healer (name supplied) and reportedly on duty in Mozambique was scaring clients into paying their debts by allegedly sending them "summons" in the form of a 'baboon'.

The healer, who stays in Mandava-the oldest suburb in the asbestos mining town- is also popular for performing seemingly impossible tasks such as bringing back lost lovers, punishing cheating partners and thieves, among others.

A source who spoke to B-Metro said the healer's weird ways of making his clients pay their debts came to light when one of the victims threatened to abandon his house claiming a baboon-like creature was always visiting him while demanding that he should pay for the treatment of a rare foot disease the healer performed on his minor child.

The source said when the victim narrated his ordeal to other residents, those who had also experienced the same predicament of hosting a rare visitor at their homes in the form of a baboon-like creature opened up.

"In a bid to make those people who have defaulted on paying for the healing services they received from him, the traditional healer sends them 'summons' in the form of a baboon. What happens is that when they were healed of their ailments, some promised to bring grain, chicken or a goat as payment.

"But often, they would not come back and so the traditional healer, in a bid to recover his money or scare them, would send a baboon to remind them," said the source.

It is alleged that sometimes the 'baboon' would come and sit at defaulting clients' doorsteps early in the morning while they would be still in bed.

The victims are reportedly claiming that the threatening message they got from the 'baboon' stipulates that failure to clear the arrears within one week would see them suffer from a mysterious disease.

One victim who refused to be named and also claimed that they were visited by the baboon-like creature said it was massive and its teeth were huge.

The victim argued that the traditional healer didn't give him an adequate notice period to clear his arrears.