Mysterious snake demands a house

One of the survivors of the Chitungwiza blast is living in fear amid bizarre claims that a 'snake' is demanding her mother's house.

This is the same house where the 17 year old wife of the traditional healer Speakmore "Sekuru Shumba" Mandere, who died in the explosion, lived. It's claimed that Mbuya Punduma, mother-in-law to the late sangoma, gave her daughter Liliosa Punduma to Speakmore as compensation after she failed to pay for the cleansing services he had done in fighting the snake that was demanding Malawian husband Luxon Punduma.

The deported Luxon Punduma is allegedly fighting back, speaking through the snake in her house. When our news crew visited the family, Mbuya Punduma confirmed that Luxon was deported to Malawi and is demanding support from his family but denied the snake speaking allegations.

"I grew up in a family where rituals were conducted and the late Speakmore Mandere was my son-in-law. If there is a snake in my house yanetsa munhu here? If it is inside, are you seeing it? My neighbours are spreading falsehoods following the explosion and it has reached my ears and I nearly killed one after that incident," said Mbuya Punduma.

"I have every right to consult traditional healers over my family and that must not disturb my neighbours' or church mates. Every family has its own challenges and as of me this is my house and Luxon has no claim on any part of this house. Luxon never turned into a snake; he is alive in Malawi after he was deported for not having proper documents in the country.

"I called a doctor from Mt Darwin here and he referred me to traditional healers after seeing how things were going and Speakmore helped us much in that. My sick daughter has since returned to work. Luxon even wrote a letter last year demanding his children and support from them. As for the house, it is registered in my name," she said.

Mbuya Punduma said people had been bad mouthing her after the blast.

"When the blast occurred, Liliosa had less than a week staying with him and one of my daughters, who is a teacher, had been here on sick leave. She was receiving treatment from Speakmore and that's when I also received a letter from Malawi demanding that I take the children there. With all this happening in the same month, neighbours said much about it but I believe it is one of the challenges that come in life.

"I have seven children with Luxon and he is aware that I built this house by my own after I applied for a residential stand under city of Harare. My church leader counselled me after neighbours said much about me and I never gave Liliosa to Speakmore after failing to pay him as claimed. I grew up in a family where spirit mediums were conducted to lead us and with that I did not have any problems with Speakmore.

"The results about what really caused the explosion have been released by experts and they have nothing to do with my daughter or the goblin people were talking about yet they are silent about it. All they want is to spread false rumours. My fears are that all people saying negatives about Speakmore vachasangana nezvichavanetsa vakazotsvaga hama dzake ku Chiweshe," said Mbuya Punduma.

Liliosa claimed Speakmore had predicted his death ahead of the explosion and she denied that she was given to him by her mother as compensation.

"I fell in love with Speakmore and we had a child together. I moved to settle with him some days before the explosion and it's not true I was given to him as compensation. Speakmore's body was not mutilated a lot as compared to others and I am very sure that if the ambulance arrived on time he could have been saved," said Liliosa.