News / National
Witchcraft storm rocks clan
09 May 2015 at 17:33hrs | Views
A MARANGE headman is in the eye of a witchcraft storm after nine members of the extended family fingered him as the one behind mysterious happenings and deaths in their family.
Lazarus Macheke Marange who is the living father figure in the Marange family dragged his late brothers' sons, Collius, Titus, Joseph, Isaac, Ananias, Lovemore, Tafadzwa, Washington Marange and his younger brother, Tichaenzana Marange to Mutare Civil Courts for a protection order after he had grown impatient of their incessant insults, name calling and witchcraft allegations.
Magistrate, Mrs Yeukai Chigodora presided over the matter.
Lazarus told the court that the nine respondents were in the habit of insulting him and forcibly taking him to traditional healers and faith healers while he does not believe in any of the two.
"They threaten to kill me if I do not go with them and accuse me of killing some of my family members. For five years I have been subjected to this inhuman treatment.
"I am now fed up Your Worship.
"They dragged me to a sangoma called Macholo and it was not by consent. If the court pleases, they should be barred from visiting my homestead," the old man begged the court.
All the nine denied forcing him to accompany them to a sangoma and stated that he had volunteered to accompany them.
They, however, called him a wizard and accused him of having killed their own fathers to inherit their wives as well as take over the area's headmanship.
The nine claimed that their uncle's desires were fulfilled after he inherited his late brothers' wives as well as took over the headmanship.
Collius told the court that Lazarus had killed his father and took his wife.
"My father was a headman and this wizard gave him a cup of tea laced with poison. He died that very day. After his death, Lazarus took my father's wife and his headman crown. He has since killed her too," he boldly declared.
Tichaenzana, with the aid of a walking stick, told the court that Lazarus was the one who had bewitched him when he was herding cattle and ever since he had not been able to walk properly.
"When Tichaenzana was bewitched by Lazarus, we confronted Lazarus and he pointed a finger at me and took something from his pockets and threw it at me.
"I saw small human-like things attacking me.
"They had dropped from his pockets and ever since I have been bed-ridden. This man is a wizard," said one of the Marange sons.
The matter is also before Chief Marange's court and Lazarus had not been attending the court sessions for the past five years.
Mrs Chigodora told the Marange sons that civil law did not consider witchcraft as something that existed, but advised them to keep pursuing their matter with the traditional courts since they have the powers to deal with such matters.
A protection order was granted to Lazarus Macheke Marange against his nine relatives, but the nine were not barred from visiting him.
Lazarus Macheke Marange who is the living father figure in the Marange family dragged his late brothers' sons, Collius, Titus, Joseph, Isaac, Ananias, Lovemore, Tafadzwa, Washington Marange and his younger brother, Tichaenzana Marange to Mutare Civil Courts for a protection order after he had grown impatient of their incessant insults, name calling and witchcraft allegations.
Magistrate, Mrs Yeukai Chigodora presided over the matter.
Lazarus told the court that the nine respondents were in the habit of insulting him and forcibly taking him to traditional healers and faith healers while he does not believe in any of the two.
"They threaten to kill me if I do not go with them and accuse me of killing some of my family members. For five years I have been subjected to this inhuman treatment.
"I am now fed up Your Worship.
"They dragged me to a sangoma called Macholo and it was not by consent. If the court pleases, they should be barred from visiting my homestead," the old man begged the court.
All the nine denied forcing him to accompany them to a sangoma and stated that he had volunteered to accompany them.
They, however, called him a wizard and accused him of having killed their own fathers to inherit their wives as well as take over the area's headmanship.
The nine claimed that their uncle's desires were fulfilled after he inherited his late brothers' wives as well as took over the headmanship.
Collius told the court that Lazarus had killed his father and took his wife.
"My father was a headman and this wizard gave him a cup of tea laced with poison. He died that very day. After his death, Lazarus took my father's wife and his headman crown. He has since killed her too," he boldly declared.
Tichaenzana, with the aid of a walking stick, told the court that Lazarus was the one who had bewitched him when he was herding cattle and ever since he had not been able to walk properly.
"When Tichaenzana was bewitched by Lazarus, we confronted Lazarus and he pointed a finger at me and took something from his pockets and threw it at me.
"I saw small human-like things attacking me.
"They had dropped from his pockets and ever since I have been bed-ridden. This man is a wizard," said one of the Marange sons.
The matter is also before Chief Marange's court and Lazarus had not been attending the court sessions for the past five years.
Mrs Chigodora told the Marange sons that civil law did not consider witchcraft as something that existed, but advised them to keep pursuing their matter with the traditional courts since they have the powers to deal with such matters.
A protection order was granted to Lazarus Macheke Marange against his nine relatives, but the nine were not barred from visiting him.
Source - manicapost
