Witchcraft fears as schoolgirls faint en masse

SCORES of girls at Sivomo Secondary School in Nkayi mysteriously collapsed after complaining of headaches last week. Boys at the school were not affected. Sources at the school said the girls frothed from the mouth during the incident last Thursday.

"The mysterious fainting spell only affects girls. This isn't the first time it has happened at this school. Pupils would complain of headaches, within a few minutes they become hysterical and faint."

Ward 18 Village head Amos Dube, under chief Tshugulu, said he had received phone calls from the school and villagers. "They said the situation was tense and they had already called in a traditional healer," said Dube.

"I went to witness the inexplicable mass fainting. Last year the school experienced the same problem. The neighbouring school, Matetshaneni primary was also affected last year and it was only the big girls who were affected," he said.

Dube said both schools last year engaged traditional healers to cleanse the schools and the problem stopped.

Villagers told The Chronicle they suspected witchcraft.

Mangisi Ndlovu said last year they had to call a traditional healer to chase away goblins which targeted girls at the school.

"If it was hunger, boys should have been affected as well," he said.

Matabeleland North provincial education director, Boithatelo Mnguni, could not be comment as she was in a meeting.

Nkayi District Administrator Mandlamakhulu Moyo said a team was going to the school to investigate the matter.

"Officials at the education office, in conjunction with those from the Ministry of Health, are going to the school to investigate," said Moyo.