Raped, murder teen's spirit wreaks havoc, demands top-up

THE avenging spirit of a teenage girl who was allegedly raped and murdered about 16 years ago is wreaking havoc in her killers' family demanding 10 beasts claiming the compensation was lobola which was supposed to be paid to her parents as she would by this time have been married.

The restless spirit of Vimbai Zingoni from Huchu area in Gokwe is reportedly venting its anger on Rukanda family in Zhombe following her grisly murder by Owen Rukanda who is also now deceased.

According to a source close to the Zingoni family the spirit of the teenager has been speaking through one of her family members claiming the family of her alleged assailant would not know peace until they met her demands of paying an additional 10 head of cattle in addition to the other 10 they paid before her burial.

The latest demand, it is alleged, is lobola payment which the deceased who was killed when she was still a minor  is demanding should be paid to her parents since she would by this time have been ripe for marriage.

"What happened is that following her (Vimbai) brutal murder some 16 years ago by Owen, the Rukanda family paid 10 beasts as compensation and the restless spirit is now demanding another 10 head of cattle claiming by the time she was murdered she was very young hence the latest compensation is part of the lobola payment to be enjoyed by her family as she would have been married by now.

"The Rukanda family which recently experienced  mysterious deaths is, however, willing to pay the beasts but  is being delayed by the Zingoni family  which is also being troubled by the same spirit of their daughter as punishment for abusing the first compensation (10 beasts) which was paid before her burial," said the source who preferred anonymity.

The source further said the matter came to light after the Zingoni family approached Chief Nemangwe's traditional court following a clash at the instigation of Vimbai's spirit which reportedly accused them of being "ungrateful".

The family, the source alleged, was supposed to perform a ritual to appease their daughter's spirit soon after receiving the compensation but they didn't do so much to the chagrin of her (Vimbai) spirit.

It is reported that the deceased's biological brothers Jonah and Jacob and their mother Emma Mbara took the beasts for their own use at the expense of other family members despite the fact that they had also played a leading role during the compensation process.

That, it is alleged, caused Vimbai's spirit to manifest through her younger sister Gertrude saying her family should not receive the additional beasts in question before her biological brothers and mother explain  to  the family why they secretly shared the initial compensation among themselves and without the consent of other family members.

"Vimbai's restless spirit is also tormenting her own family as punishment for ‘abusing' the initial compensation. She is manifesting through her younger sister Gertrude saying her biological brothers and mother should explain to other family members what happened to the 10 cattle which they received as part of the initial compensation or the whole family risks being haunted.

"Following the chilling demand other family members quickly approached Chief Nemangwe's traditional court for help.

Chief Nemangwe whose jurisdiction the Zingoni family falls under confirmed the incident saying as part of his ruling and to stop Vimbai's impatient spirit from tormenting her own family he ordered them to account for the ‘misappropriated' beasts before they received the other 10 from the Rukanda family.