News / National
‘Goblins’ land pair behind bars
13 Oct 2010 at 08:25hrs | Views
A HURUNGWE man, who has been in the business of manufacturing replicas of goblins for sale to a witch-hunter, commonly known as Tsikamutanda, to extort villagers' livestock and money has been arrested.
Nicholas Machowani (26) of Mabhoyi Village was jailed for an effective nine months by Karoi magistrate Mr Obedience Matare.
Machowani was last Friday slapped with a 12-month jail term after he pleaded guilty to possessing three "goblins" that he intended to sell to Tsikamutanda, Brian Nicks-Chikepe of Makande.
Mr Matare suspended three months of the sentence on condition of good behaviour.
On September 28 this year at Makande Business Centre, Machowani was approached by one Constable Sibanda who wanted to know what was in his bag.
Unaware that he was talking to a cop, Machowani said he had items for Nicks-Chikepe.
The cop asked him to open the bag and saw the handmade "goblins".
Machovhani confessed he had manufactured several of them and given them to Nicks-Chikepe in exchange for the beasts the Tsikamutanda extorted from villagers as payment for his "witch-hunting" services.
Nicks-Chikepe would reportedly plant the "goblins" at homesteads and then pretend to discover them after which the villagers would pay him for the "cleansing".
The Tsikamutanda has appeared before the same magistrate facing four counts of fraud.
The State alleges that on four occasions in July this year, Nicks-Chikepe visited homesteads in Makande and presented himself as a cleanser with the power to sniff out goblins.
On the first count, Chikepe allegedly defrauded 69-year-old Godfrey Mavhuna whom he charged a beast valued at US$300 for ridding his homestead of a ''goblin''.
The beast was not recovered.
Chikepe allegedly also defrauded Kufakunesu Chiodza (72) of a welding machine valued at US$800 using the same methods.
The machine was also not recovered.
The third and fourth counts pertain to similar alleged acts of fraud in which Mariba Josiah (80) and Muzondiwa Mubvuri (80) lost two beasts valued at US$400 and US$300 respectively.
Again, nothing was recovered.
Nicks-Chikepe was remanded in custody to Monday next week
Nicholas Machowani (26) of Mabhoyi Village was jailed for an effective nine months by Karoi magistrate Mr Obedience Matare.
Machowani was last Friday slapped with a 12-month jail term after he pleaded guilty to possessing three "goblins" that he intended to sell to Tsikamutanda, Brian Nicks-Chikepe of Makande.
Mr Matare suspended three months of the sentence on condition of good behaviour.
On September 28 this year at Makande Business Centre, Machowani was approached by one Constable Sibanda who wanted to know what was in his bag.
Unaware that he was talking to a cop, Machowani said he had items for Nicks-Chikepe.
The cop asked him to open the bag and saw the handmade "goblins".
Machovhani confessed he had manufactured several of them and given them to Nicks-Chikepe in exchange for the beasts the Tsikamutanda extorted from villagers as payment for his "witch-hunting" services.
Nicks-Chikepe would reportedly plant the "goblins" at homesteads and then pretend to discover them after which the villagers would pay him for the "cleansing".
The State alleges that on four occasions in July this year, Nicks-Chikepe visited homesteads in Makande and presented himself as a cleanser with the power to sniff out goblins.
On the first count, Chikepe allegedly defrauded 69-year-old Godfrey Mavhuna whom he charged a beast valued at US$300 for ridding his homestead of a ''goblin''.
The beast was not recovered.
Chikepe allegedly also defrauded Kufakunesu Chiodza (72) of a welding machine valued at US$800 using the same methods.
The machine was also not recovered.
The third and fourth counts pertain to similar alleged acts of fraud in which Mariba Josiah (80) and Muzondiwa Mubvuri (80) lost two beasts valued at US$400 and US$300 respectively.
Again, nothing was recovered.
Nicks-Chikepe was remanded in custody to Monday next week
Source - Herald
