Snake forces family to flee resettlement home

IN a bizarre incident, a family from Insiza District's Combo area in Matabeleland South has reportedly deserted their homestead over a mysterious snake which was giving them sleepless nights.

Family relatives told Sunday News that the Mangena family fled their home and returned to Gwanda where they were living before they were resettled.

According to the newspaper, the Mangena family is embroiled in a land dispute with a Musiyarira family, with the latter accusing the former of taking their land.

"We cannot stay here anymore and with that we have to leave because it seems we will not win this war," Mrs Thokozani Mangena told the Sunday News.

"The problem we have is that we are fighting over a piece of land. The area is well demarcated but we both claim ownership of that piece of land.

Unfortunately, we are now having sleepless nights, as there is a snake which will be at our main door during the night and in the morning it will be in the kitchen. We witnessed such incidents for the past three days and we called a traditional healer who told us the person who is causing all these problems.

"The traditional healer failed to stop the problem and we have decided to leave because we are afraid that more bad things may befall the family. We have been promised a better place and we hope we won't experience such problems again."

It is reported when the land dispute erupted, Mr Oscar Musiyarira told the Mangena family that no one will stand in his way in reclaiming what is his.

"He (Mr Musiyarira) warned us earlier that something big was going to happen. The message was clear, he wanted to frustrate us so that we can leave the farm. The headman was informed but he does not have supernatural powers to stop this act of witchcraft," said Mrs Mangena.

Contacted for comment, Mr Musiyarira confirmed that he is embroiled in a land dispute but denied that he sent a snake to terrorise the Mangena family.

"Land disputes are taking place in many areas in the country. We are still engaged in a land dispute with the Mangena family hoping that we will agree on something. It is not true that I sent a snake to scare them. I cannot do that and will never do that," said Mr Musiyarira.

Headman Charles Ndlovu, under whose jurisdiction the incident took place, confirmed the dispute and that the family approached him over the mysterious snake that was tormenting them.

"What you are talking about my son happened but we cannot prove that there was a snake which was sent by Musiyarira. I hope that both families will solve their problems," said headman Ndlovu.