Woman seeks protection from husband over forced rituals

A Harare woman and her daughter have been granted protection orders after approaching the civil court with harrowing allegations of emotional abuse and coercion into unwanted traditional rituals by their husband and father.

Onisco Chipanga and her daughter Calisca appeared before Harare Civil Court Magistrate Meenal Narotam, accusing Try Chipanga - Onisco's husband - of forcing them into spiritual cleansing ceremonies and routinely subjecting them to verbal and emotional abuse.

"My father forced me to go to a ritual because he said he believes that I am possessed," Calisca testified before the court. "He took me to a river without my consent, and a traditional healer pushed me into the water. I struggled to breathe."

She further revealed that her father frequently insults her, calling her a witch and blaming her for his life's setbacks. "He says I'm the reason he's not succeeding in life and keeps telling me to leave his house," she added.

Onisco supported her daughter's claims, describing her husband's behaviour as aggressive and paranoid. "He insults me with vulgar language in front of the children and threatens to beat me," she said. "The last time he hit me was in January, and now the kids have to step in when he gets violent."

The court also heard that Try Chipanga regularly invades Onisco's privacy by checking her phone and eavesdropping on her conversations. "He thinks I'm plotting against him with my family," she told the court.

In one alarming incident, Onisco recounted that her husband brought home a bottle of blood and demanded the family wash their faces with it as part of a cleansing ritual. When she refused, he allegedly became enraged, smashed household items, and ordered the family to leave the house. "My children and I had to sleep at my sister's house that night," she said.

Try Chipanga did not appear in court for the hearing.

Magistrate Narotam granted protection orders in favour of Onisco and Calisca, barring Try from involving them in any rituals without their consent and preventing him from evicting them from their home.

The ruling offers the pair a measure of relief and legal protection as they attempt to recover from the traumatic experiences detailed in court.