Satanism: Students, teacher appear before headman's court

SIX  Nyanyadzi High School students and a primary school teacher appeared before Headman Gudyanga's court last Saturday to answer allegations of their involvement in acts of Satanism.

An unprecedented crowd of more than one thousand people attended the court session.

One Form Four student was accused of being a key member of the Satanism cult by her colleagues while the primary school teacher from neighbouring Dirikwe Primary School professed ignorance about Satanism activities, and said she might have been used unknowingly.


One of the school teachers goes through the screening and cleansing ceremony

While testifying, one of the girls said: "I saw her (the Form Four student) on a number of occasions coming to me in my dreams, offering me food but I flatly refused. I did not report the matter to my parents or teachers but I told my friends about it.

"That happened during the first term. This term I had swollen eyes and the problem persisted even after consulting several medical practitioners. My parents sought help from spiritualists and that is where we were told that there were attempts to initiate me into Satanism. I would see her (the Form Four student) coming to me with apples and strawberries but I consistently refused."

Another school girl told the headman's court that she saw the same girl coming to her with a crown, which she wanted her to put on but she refused.

"It actually happened last Tuesday when we had finished having dinner at home and I had a terrible headache. When I closed my eyes I saw her (the Form Four student) coming to me in the company of three other girls. She was holding a crown that she handed over to me to put on but I refused. I struggled like I was in a nightmare until I woke up," she said.


A Nyanyadzi High School student collapses during the cleansing ritual

The girl's mother, who is also teacher at the same school, said it had been a while since she discovered her child's problems.

"I have been having problems because of my daughter's behavioural change as well as inexplicable health conditions such as during the times that she would collapse and suddenly wake up without complaining about any ailment. At times, she would come home being held by her friends and after a short period she regains her consciousness.

"We tried all avenues in the medical health sector but they could not find any problems on her until as a parent I then consulted spiritualists who told us the real problem that she was facing," she said.


Part of the crowd takes vantage positions on trees to witness the rituals

The other three girls who also appeared before the court professed ignorance about acts of Satanism.  However, the female teacher at Dirikwe High School, who had been named as part of those that had been recruited, said she was not part of the Satanism cult unless if she was involved unknowingly.

"I am here to hear about the allegations levelled against me being involved in Satanism. I know nothing about it unless if I was initiated unknowingly and I am involved unknowingly. That is all I want to know," she said.

The court adjourned to Sunday when apostolic exorcists carried out a cleansing ceremony to screen and cleanse the victims. Hundreds of students from Nyanyadzi High School, as well as surrounding schools underwent the screening and cleansing ceremony, including some among the six teachers and school children who had initially been implicated.

The alleged Satanism ring leader and two other female teachers did not attend the cleansing ceremony at the headman's court.

But onlookers were taken aback when one Nyanyadzi High School teacher and the Form Four student, both of whom were implicated as key players in the cult passed the test and were deemed clean.

Emmanuel Banga Sithole, a popular figure in the Nyanyadzi community, felt that the cleansing ceremony was not authentic, questioning why known suspects passed through the screening.

However others interviewed by The Weekender said that the cleansing ceremony helped resolve the issue that had created tension in the community.

Last Tuesday, anti-riot police descended on Nyanyadzi High to restore calm after angry pupils and parents demanded the sacking of the female teacher accused of masterminding the initiation of three colleagues and 400 children into Satanism.

Primary and Secondary Education Minister, Dr Lazarus Dokora, has since dismissed reports of pupils being initiated into Satanism at the school as mere hysteria.