Chief battles mysterious illness

AILING Chief Musikavanhu who had his leg amputated last year is battling a mysterious ailment that has resulted in him being kept indoors, with only close relatives allowed to visit him.

Chief Musikavanhu has since relocated from his Chipinge South home to his daughter's workplace in Buhera where he is recuperating. Although his relatives barred this news crew from seeing the ailing chief during a visit on Monday, it is reported that Chief Musikavanhu is about to lose his other leg.

Buhera District Administrator Mr Freeman Mavhiza, who is among the few people who have managed to visit Chief Musikavanhu, confirmed that he was seriously ill, but refused to shed much light.

He said the issue was "too personal". "The chief comes from Chipinge and I am in Buhera. I cannot comment over the health condition of a chief who is not within my jurisdiction, plus his situation is too personal," he said.

Chief Musikavanhu refused to entertain The Manica Post and only said his condition was "too bad" for the Press, worse off, for it to go public. One of his sons, who denied The Manica Post access into the room where Chief Musikavanhu was locked in, suggested that the news team visits Chipinge first before talking to his father.

His fears were that publishing the story about his father's ailment would further expose him to his enemies. Continuous groans from a throaty voice could be heard from the room where Chief Musikavanhu is being kept.

A strong stench was also coming from the room. "His condition is too bad for the Press. I don't think with his current situation it would be proper for you to talk to him. I would appreciate it if you first go to Chipinge and talk to his relatives and then come back to us. Publishing his condition is like continuously exposing him to his enemies," said his son.

Chief Musikavanhu's daughter, who is a nurse at Buhera Rural Hospital, also echoed the same sentiments, saying her father was in "bad shape". "Talking to him will not help us in any way. He was in Mutare last year with a similar problem and ended up with his leg being amputated.

"We never got any help even from Government, save for Minister Mandi Chimene who would give him some food prepared from her house. We had no problems in you talking to him, but it's not proper at this juncture," she said.

Said a source close to him: "The man is in serious pain. He is likely to lose the other leg if he fails to get immediate attention.

"His leg is losing flesh with each passing day. What boggles the mind is that medical practitioners are failing to diagnose the actual ailment he is suffering from. Some people suspect witchcraft."