News / National
Girl (12) confesses to feeding on human flesh
03 May 2013 at 08:12hrs | Views
A 19-YEAR-OLD woman allegedly initiated her 12-year-old aunt into the nocturnal world of witchcraft where they used to feed on human flesh in Buhera.
The macabre real life drama, which reads like a fairytale, which occurred in Chigavakava Village about 50km from Murambinda Growth Point along Murambinda/Chivhu Road under Headman Mavhimira in Buhera District, saw the juvenile, who is a Grade Six pupil at a local school, allegedly accompanying her sister-in-law Memory Siziba to practice witchcraft on numerous occasions.
The case has since spilled into the courts of law with Siziba and her co-accused Angela Manyanda facing charges of indicating witches or wizards as defined in Section 99 (1) of the Criminal Codification and Reform Act.
In the ongoing court case, it is alleged that Siziba and Manyanda accused a fellow villager, Patience Chaziremunhu of having initiated them into witchcraft.
The case appeared before Murambinda magistrate, Mr Henry Sande, with Mr Peter Gwatiringa appearing for the State.
However, Siziba and Manyanda absconded on Tuesday and a warrant of arrest has since been issued against them.
In initiating the juvenile, Siziba is said to have made 10 incisions (nyora) on her.
When The Weekender visited Chigavakava Village on Sunday, the story had become the major talk of the community and finding directions to the homestead in question was quite an easy task.
The minor, who has visible scars on her cheeks and on back as a result of the incisions was remorseful as she narrated how Siziba initiated her into witchcraft as well as how they were fed on human flesh during their night gatherings at a 'base' at Chigavakava shops.
"We used to go and eat human flesh at a place that we referred to as a base at the nearby shops. We used to go with maiguru (Siziba) as our senior. In fact, in most cases we would go the three of us including the other sister-in-law, who was also initiated by Siziba.
"We used to ride on a big black lion and at times we used a big hyena to go to the base. At times we would visit graves of deceased people and eat the flesh just like what we did at the graveyard where one of the local Bere family members had been buried.
"There are a number of locals that I could identify at the base where we used to gather such as Mai Washy, Baba Washy and Mai Manwa. While at the base there were also other young kids of my age and we were so many that we could end up filling the big building that we referred to as our base.
"We had leaders like Baba Mupandi and Mai Manwa and they were the ones who would pick pieces of human flesh and distribute during our meetings at the base. One cannot get the same part of the human body everyday.
"When I was initiated, she used to just call me and we would go together, but she later started throwing a mystic stone where I would be sleeping and I would wake up and follow her," said the girl.
Asked on whether her parents and other elders would not discover that she had gone out at night, the girl said said: "Taisiya mumvuri wekuti unofunga kuti munhu aripo. (We would leave behind a shadow that resembles a person). People would not realise that I was not at home," she said.
Siziba was not reachable for comment at the time of going to Press as she was said to have left Chigavakava Village after her acts were unmasked and is understood to be in Gweru.
Astonishingly, the witch is also said to have been in the habit of leaving her husband to be intimate with a snake in bed as she went out at night.
The husband is said to be nursing wounds around his private parts that started as a result of being licked by the deadly reptile after every sexual intercourse.
Although the husband was said to have travelled to Gweru recently where he is receiving treatment under the watchful eye of his father, his mother, Oppah Unya, confirmed that her diabolic daughter-in-law had successfully initiated her 12-year-old daughter into witchcraft.
She said her daughter-in-law (Siziba) had done so much damage to the moral fabric and reputation of her family.
"The whole thing started when my son went to Gweru to visit his father late last year. He met Siziba and the two fell in love. They decided to get married within a short space of time of about a month and my son came here to show us his wife-to-be. I understand that he was introduced to her by his sister, my daughter who also resides in Gweru.
"When they were here and having stayed for a week, I went to Gweru with the intention of collecting some groceries from my husband. After a day upon my arrival, we received a phone call that our daughter-in-law was seriously ill.
"In fact, it was said that she appeared to be in some labour pains and I hurriedly came back to Buhera fearing that the situation might get worse as we had not visited her parents or paid anything in terms of lobola.
"When I got here (Buhera) she was indeed in pain and that very day she 'delivered' an item that looked like a doll, but with all human-like features.
"It did not show any signs of life. We decided to bury it along the nearby river bank, but just after burying it my leg started swelling while we were still near the river bank.
"I suddenly felt intense pain on my leg. I could not walk. Personally I am a Johane Marange Apostolic sect devotee.
"We prayed and prayed about it until we were told by a church prophet that we had buried a goblin and it had actually found its way into my body mysteriously.
"I was later healed. This is when we discovered that we were staying with a witch and that is also when it was discovered that my own daughter had also been initiated into witchcraft.
"We referred the matter to the local headman who also referred us to courts of law where the issue is still pending.
"However, my son is now in Gweru where he is receiving treatment at church and his father is taking care of him. My daughter is also being rehabilitated with the help of church elders," she said.
Efforts to get a comment from Siziba were fruitless as she was said to be in Gweru with others saying she was in her rural home in Filabusi. No one had her contact details.
The macabre real life drama, which reads like a fairytale, which occurred in Chigavakava Village about 50km from Murambinda Growth Point along Murambinda/Chivhu Road under Headman Mavhimira in Buhera District, saw the juvenile, who is a Grade Six pupil at a local school, allegedly accompanying her sister-in-law Memory Siziba to practice witchcraft on numerous occasions.
The case has since spilled into the courts of law with Siziba and her co-accused Angela Manyanda facing charges of indicating witches or wizards as defined in Section 99 (1) of the Criminal Codification and Reform Act.
In the ongoing court case, it is alleged that Siziba and Manyanda accused a fellow villager, Patience Chaziremunhu of having initiated them into witchcraft.
The case appeared before Murambinda magistrate, Mr Henry Sande, with Mr Peter Gwatiringa appearing for the State.
However, Siziba and Manyanda absconded on Tuesday and a warrant of arrest has since been issued against them.
In initiating the juvenile, Siziba is said to have made 10 incisions (nyora) on her.
When The Weekender visited Chigavakava Village on Sunday, the story had become the major talk of the community and finding directions to the homestead in question was quite an easy task.
The minor, who has visible scars on her cheeks and on back as a result of the incisions was remorseful as she narrated how Siziba initiated her into witchcraft as well as how they were fed on human flesh during their night gatherings at a 'base' at Chigavakava shops.
"We used to go and eat human flesh at a place that we referred to as a base at the nearby shops. We used to go with maiguru (Siziba) as our senior. In fact, in most cases we would go the three of us including the other sister-in-law, who was also initiated by Siziba.
"We used to ride on a big black lion and at times we used a big hyena to go to the base. At times we would visit graves of deceased people and eat the flesh just like what we did at the graveyard where one of the local Bere family members had been buried.
"There are a number of locals that I could identify at the base where we used to gather such as Mai Washy, Baba Washy and Mai Manwa. While at the base there were also other young kids of my age and we were so many that we could end up filling the big building that we referred to as our base.
"We had leaders like Baba Mupandi and Mai Manwa and they were the ones who would pick pieces of human flesh and distribute during our meetings at the base. One cannot get the same part of the human body everyday.
"When I was initiated, she used to just call me and we would go together, but she later started throwing a mystic stone where I would be sleeping and I would wake up and follow her," said the girl.
Asked on whether her parents and other elders would not discover that she had gone out at night, the girl said said: "Taisiya mumvuri wekuti unofunga kuti munhu aripo. (We would leave behind a shadow that resembles a person). People would not realise that I was not at home," she said.
Astonishingly, the witch is also said to have been in the habit of leaving her husband to be intimate with a snake in bed as she went out at night.
The husband is said to be nursing wounds around his private parts that started as a result of being licked by the deadly reptile after every sexual intercourse.
Although the husband was said to have travelled to Gweru recently where he is receiving treatment under the watchful eye of his father, his mother, Oppah Unya, confirmed that her diabolic daughter-in-law had successfully initiated her 12-year-old daughter into witchcraft.
She said her daughter-in-law (Siziba) had done so much damage to the moral fabric and reputation of her family.
"The whole thing started when my son went to Gweru to visit his father late last year. He met Siziba and the two fell in love. They decided to get married within a short space of time of about a month and my son came here to show us his wife-to-be. I understand that he was introduced to her by his sister, my daughter who also resides in Gweru.
"When they were here and having stayed for a week, I went to Gweru with the intention of collecting some groceries from my husband. After a day upon my arrival, we received a phone call that our daughter-in-law was seriously ill.
"In fact, it was said that she appeared to be in some labour pains and I hurriedly came back to Buhera fearing that the situation might get worse as we had not visited her parents or paid anything in terms of lobola.
"When I got here (Buhera) she was indeed in pain and that very day she 'delivered' an item that looked like a doll, but with all human-like features.
"It did not show any signs of life. We decided to bury it along the nearby river bank, but just after burying it my leg started swelling while we were still near the river bank.
"I suddenly felt intense pain on my leg. I could not walk. Personally I am a Johane Marange Apostolic sect devotee.
"We prayed and prayed about it until we were told by a church prophet that we had buried a goblin and it had actually found its way into my body mysteriously.
"I was later healed. This is when we discovered that we were staying with a witch and that is also when it was discovered that my own daughter had also been initiated into witchcraft.
"We referred the matter to the local headman who also referred us to courts of law where the issue is still pending.
"However, my son is now in Gweru where he is receiving treatment at church and his father is taking care of him. My daughter is also being rehabilitated with the help of church elders," she said.
Efforts to get a comment from Siziba were fruitless as she was said to be in Gweru with others saying she was in her rural home in Filabusi. No one had her contact details.
Source - Weekender
