Goblins burn entire family homestead

Three huts and a house were flattened last Sunday, while people are occasionally being pelted with stones by unseen things, believed to be goblins at a Chisumbanje homestead in Chipinge South where mysterious occurrences are haunting the Sithole Family.

In this true to life tragedy whose scripts reads like a horror movie, the Sithole family had to make do with stones being thrown at them for the past two months, while soil is intermittently tossed into their pots by invisible assailants as they will be preparing food. However, things came to a boil early last week when three huts at the homestead as well as a house suddenly went up in smoke and the family now sleeps in the open, while the few belongings they managed to salvage from the raging fire are heaped outside.

Whenever one young male member of the family, Taso Sithole (16) entered each of the huts and as soon as he came out, that hut would unexpectedly go up in smoke and this happened on all the four structures that were burnt at the homestead. To make matters worse, efforts to put out the fire were rendered futile as the well at the homestead mysteriously ran dry, only for the well to automatically fill up to the brim with water soon after the huts had been razed.

A visibly traumatised Sarah Muyambo (52) said they were not aware of the hand behind the calamity. She, however, admitted that her 29-year-old son was once fingered by some traditional healers as having caused the misfortunes after he had allegedly laid his hands on some money making magical charms!

"It was around 10am when the fire started. All along we were used to being occasionally pelted with stones, while soil would be hurled in our pots as we were cooking sadza. In fact, it has been long since we last prepared a decent meal simple because you would not want to spend a long time preparing a meal, lest soil would be thrown in whatever you will be cooking. My son, we do not even know why the Lord has allowed this to happen to us. So many things have been said by our neighbours and other passers-by, but no one knows the truth yet. As per our tradition, when such things happen, we consulted different traditional healers for possible solutions. On more than one occasion, we were told that my son - Enoth, is responsible. They said he laid his hands on some money-making magical charms and things are now backfiring. When he returned from Bindura we went to one traditional healer with him so that he could hear it from the horse's mouse, but he vehemently denied the allegations."

She added that the family has been left without any option, but to come out in the open and let the world know that they were in serious trouble. She said different Christian groups visited her home and prayed, but nothing has improved yet.

"We are now sleeping in the open. We have no choice. After all, we hardly enjoy peaceful nights because at times we are pelted with stones by some unseen assailants. Today, it happened about three times when all of a sudden we found ourselves scurrying for cover as we were being pelted with stones. Sometimes some big objects like pots mysteriously rise from the ground coming in your direction and you just need to be alert all the time," she said.

In a separate interview, Enoch professed ignorance on the causes of the calamity that has befallen their family. The distraught Enock said he actually came back from Bindura to clear his name.

"I was told while I was in Bindura that I was being fingered by some traditional healers as the person behind the mysterious happenings at our home. That is why I came back to clear my name. I know nothing about it. I have never consulted any traditional healers with the aim of acquiring riches. My hands are clean," he said.

However, some neighbours confirmed that strange things were taking place at the Sithole homestead. Others went on to claim that snake-like creatures wearing sunglasses, a suit and a pair of shoes had been seen at the homestead.