Witchcraft: Women dump child at neighbour's home

Three villagers from Pasvana village under Chief Neshuro dumped a bedridden child at their neighbour's homestead, ordering her eat the child's flesh, the Mwenezi Magistrate Court recently heard.

The women believed their neighbour, Miriam Mahachi (42) had bewitched the child and caused his illness.

Sophias Tavana (40), Sincengiwe Siziba (34) and Cecilia Sarugwana (34) where last week arraigned before magistrate Honest Musiiwa for contravening section 99(1) of the Criminal Law Codification and Reform Act Chapter 9:23 'indicating witches and wizards'.

They pleaded not guilty, claiming that Mahachi was just framing them as a way of settling old scores.

Giving her side of the story in court, Mahachi said the three visited her homestead where they accused her of being a witch.

They later on dumped the sick child at her homestead, saying they had delivered her some meat.

Prosecutor Willard Chasi told the court that sometime in April, the trio approached Mahachi at her homestead. Tavana began to demand her undergarments from Mahachi, claiming she was bewitching her through her panties which she had stolen.

Accused two, Siziba joined the fray, accusing Mahachi of being in possessing of a snake that was causing the illness of her child.

She then took her the child, wrapped him in blankets and dumped him at Machachi's homestead.

The third suspect, Sarugwana allegedly told Mahachi to eat the flesh of the child since she was the one who was bewitching him.

After dressing-down Mahachi, the three accused left the child behind. A police report was filed leading to the suspects' arrest.

The matter was postponed to a later date for continuation of trial.