Naked 'witches' cause stir, arrested

Police in Mashonaland West on Monday arrested two women and charged them with allegedly engaging in a practice commonly associated with witchcraft after they stormed a nearby compound while stark naked.

Mashonaland West provincial police spokesperson Inspector Clemence Mabgweazara identified the suspects as Rosemary Kamanga (48) and Esnath Maodza (56), both of Shackleton compound about 20km from Chinhoyi. Police said the informant, Eneresi Mufunga (55), of Shackleton, was awakened around 4am by strange noises that resembled fighting dogs. When she went outside to investigate, she found two naked women and quizzed them on their mission.

Mabgweazara said the pair allegedly told Mufunga that they had fallen off a winnowing basket (rusero) on their way from a nearby compound in Alaska. They further told the woman that they wanted flesh from her. Mufunga raised alarm and alerted her neighbours who rushed to the scene baying for the duo's blood. According to eyewitnesses, the incident ignited a frenzy in the usually sleepy former mine compound.

Ironically, the suspects' husbands were among the crowd and upon seeing their naked wives, they whisked them to safety before taking them home where they were later clothed.

A report was made at Murereka Police Post leading to their arrest. Mabgweazara said when interviewed by police, the women confessed to practicing withcraft.

"They confessed to be witches and indicated they were coming from Alaska in a rusero and decided to get some human flesh at the informant's house," Mabgweazara said.

As of yesterday, the suspects were still detained at Chinhoyi Central Police Station and were expected to appear in court facing charges of contravening Section 98 of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act Chapter 9:23 pertaining to "engaging in practices commonly associated with witchcraft" or indecent exposure.

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