'My 3 chicks will be replaced by 3 lives.' . . . 3 die amid witchcraft claims

FOR Ambuya Phobie Makiwa, life has never been the same since the passing on of her three grandchildren in mysterious circumstances in the space of three days.

While still mourning her grandchildren – Samuel (5), Miriam (2) Meladine (3) – who mysteriously died after a local village head, Mr Jorum Kudhela, allegedly warned them that three family members would die to compensate for his chicks that were accidentally killed by one of the grandchildren, her son (Philip) and daughter in-law (Mai Miriam) have abandoned her at the homestead.

Three-year-old Meladine was the first to die

Mrs Makiwa (79) left alone to look after Philip's two remaining children wanders around her yard in Mhokore Village, Chief Njelele, Gokwe North.

She wonders if the grandchildren will live to see another day.

They have been staying at the homestead for the past two years after having relocated with her son and family from Sikombela area in Gokwe.

Waking up every morning to the sight of three fresh graves just 20 metres away from her hut brings back memories of the last moments she had with her late grandchildren.

The three heaps of soil with tree branches on top reminds her that death can be cruel – worse when the loved ones die from suspected acts of witchcraft.

She says life is now a living hell for her considering that the suspected "witch" who caused the death of her grandchildren and that of another family member, is a close relative who even swore before Chief Njelele that he was indeed a witch.

In Zimbabwe, witchcraft is still common in rural areas. Hardly a week passes without a local report or newspaper story on the practice.

The country lifted the ban on the practice of witchcraft, repealing colonial-era legislation that made it a crime to accuse someone of being a witch or wizard.

The new law recognises the existence of the supernatural and effectively legitimises many practices of traditional healers, but only if they are used for good.

However, according to the Witchcraft Suppression Act 9-19 any person who imputes to any other person the use of non-natural means in causing any disease in any person or animal or in causing any injury to any person or property, that is to say, who names or indicates any other person as being a wizard or witch shall be guilty of an offence and liable to a fine not exceeding Level Six or to imprisonment for a period not exceeding one year or to both such fine and such imprisonment.

And because of the above, Mrs Makiwa cannot come out in the open to name and shame the suspected witch who allegedly caused the death of her beloved grandchildren.

Standing by the fresh graveyard at her homestead, Mrs Makiwa believes strongly that her grandchildren died mysteriously from the act of witchcraft allegedly perpetrated by one of her relatives – her cousin Mr Kudhela.

"There is no way I can point at him that he caused this but I know. We have every reason to suspect that my grandchildren were attacked by the supernatural as one by one they died. We buried them all on the same day on a Wednesday and it was such a painful experience. I never wish anyone to experience that," she said failing to keep tears from falling down her frail cheeks.

"After the burial, my daughter-in-law went to Zambia while my son has relocated to another village. They all left in a huff fearing for their lives and I am alone with their two children."

A fellow villager, speaking on condition of anonymity for fear of his life, said that last week, Mr Makiwa had a misunderstanding with Mr Kudhela after his two-year-old daughter killed the latter's three chicks which had strayed into his yard.

Makiwa and Kudhela are cousins and their homesteads are about 500 metres apart.

"Mr Makiwa was then 'banished' from the village after he refused to compensate for the chicks but he stayed put arguing that the village head had no authority to evict him over petty matters.

"Mr Makiwa's wife started having weird dreams of the three chicks visiting her while she was asleep. She went to church elders (Johane Marange Apostolic Church) and was told that Mr Kudhela, who is also a member of the same church, was responsible to which he admitted. He was then told to bring his suspected goblins so that they could be destroyed but he refused and stopped coming to church," he said.

"After a few days, Makiwa's three children died one after the other."

"We are all afraid of the village head."

Other villagers said Chief Njelele should just banish Mr Kudhela before he causes more deaths in the village.

"As we speak, four of his relatives including the three children all died mysteriously in the space of a month. We don't want him here," said the villager.

Mr Kudhela (77) denied the allegations of witchcraft levelled against him.

He said he was a devout Christian, who started going to church in 1949.

"There was just a misunderstanding caused by some people in the church, maybe they want to be village heads, I don't know. But I didn't cause the death of the children. Rather, these children were sick and since it is our church practice that we don't seek treatment at health institutions, their parents used washing powder to treat them which backfired and they died. They are my relatives and I could not do such a horrible thing. Because of this, I have since been suspended from church," said Mr Kudhela.

Asked why he then paid two cows to Chief Njelele, Mr Kudhela – a builder by profession – said: "The chief fined me for allowing three people to be buried on the same day and for not notifying him of the deaths of these children."

However, Chief Njelele said his head- man had allegedly admitted possessing goblins which he promised to hand over to prophets from his church.

The chief said he fined Mr Kudhela two beasts which he paid.

"Actually this man has lived in two areas before coming to Mapfungautsi area and from Kana to Sikombela, he has been accused of killing fellow villagers. He has been accused of practising witchcraft. Two years ago I approached him and he admitted that he indeed possessed 'things' but he has not surrendered them," said Chief Njelele.

The chief said he had reported the matter to the police who, however, said there was no evidence that Mr Kudhela had killed anyone.

"The problem is with the law, these are serious allegations the headman is facing but what can we do? I reported the matter to the police who said suspecting that one was practising witchcraft without any tangible evidence was not enough to warrant prosecution or conviction in the court of law," he said.

Added the chief: "We are contemplating on chasing him away from this village but where will he go and stay alone? We have asked him to get cleansed so that the village finds some peace, we have a village that is traumatised, a village that believes that it has a witch within its midst and a village which believes that the law is not protecting them. So it's a very tricky situation for us."

Chief Njelele said he would summon witch-hunters to cleanse the village at Mr Kudhela's expense if he does not hand over the said goblins to church leaders so that they are destroyed.

Even with all the assurance that all shall be well, villagers still fear that the worst is yet to come especially with the mysterious death of the three children.

They pin their hopes on the outcome of a chief's court that will be held tomorrow to determine Mr Kudhela's fate.

And as for Ambuya Makiwa, each sunset is a blessing as her remaining two grandchildren would have made it through another day.