Goblins shut down school

REPORTED mysterious manifestations have shut down a school in Matabelealnd North's Bubi district.

Villagers in the area are currently up in arms after an apostolic sect prophet popularly known as Madzibaba in the area failed to chase away the goblins believed to be terrorising Majiji Primary School.

The goblins have allegedly been harassing teachers and pupils, forcing the school to halt its day to day operations because the mysterious creatures were reportedly now sexually abusing the teachers and pupils. The community living near the school is also said to be pestered by the fiends.

Majiji school development committee chairperson John Sibanda told Southern Eye that a prophet from an Apostolic sect was invited to perform a cleansing ritual at the school which has virtually shut down.

"Unfortunately, the results did not satisfy the community members after the situation got worse. A meeting was held and it was decided that those with spiritual powers should be called in to assist remove the goblins," Sibanda said.

"Madzibaba visited the school last week and performed his magic, unfortunately, the ceremony did not yield the desired results because the abuse by goblins has escalated even more," he said.

Sibanda said another meeting was held last week with different stakeholders at the school, which included village heads, the councillor and parents.

"Parents were fuming saying Madzibaba failed to remove the goblins. He only captured a small snake from a male teacher's cottage. The community now claim that the captured snake is the same as other snakes that are usually found at Majiji and other surrounding communities in Mbembeswana.

"The school is now empty because lessons have been disturbed for a full week after teachers left to flee the goblins. The female teachers who were terrorised by the goblins came back last Sunday, but complained that the situation has actually gotten worse. They did not sleep last night."

Sibanda said different prophets were asked to assist, but only Madzibaba turned up.

Ward 4 councillor Danisa Siwela said more spiritual healers are needed to assist the school.

"The community desperately needs a traditional healer who will carry out the task well and expose the culprits. We plead with those who are capable of capturing the goblins to come in their numbers to assist us.

"It's devastating to see what is happening at the school where lessons are now on hold and learners are affected after learning was disturbed by the COVID-19 pandemic," Siwela said.

Villagers told Southern Eye that the owners of the goblins must be exposed.

"The people who own these creatures must be exposed. We don't want to just burn incense and make the goblins run away without knowing the owners. We want people who are truly spiritual, not fake prophets," Chenis Ncube, a villager, said.

Matabeleland north provincial education director Jabulani Mpofu was not reachable for comment.