The Sunday Mail (Zimbabwe)

The sperm harvesters! People eating mountain?

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Bizarre and mind-boggling reports of men being kidnapped, drugged or held at gun or knife point before they are raped and their sperm collected have been widely reported in Zimbabwe.

The purpose of such eerie acts remain a subject of wild speculatio­n. In most traditiona­l cultures, men are considered to be stronger and therefore less vulnerable to attacks by the “weaker sex”.

But recurring reports of sexual attacks on men by gangs of women clearly indicate that the tables have been turned. Men are now increasing­ly becoming the “game”. The intended use of the collected sperm is the biggest mystery in this puzzle.

Basing on the various reports, it seems the attacks are perpetrate­d by well-heeled women, most of whom drive expensive cars. Some of the assailants were reportedly wearing black suits, raising suspicion that the attacks could be linked to the occult.

Considerin­g that the victims will have been drugged, questions have been asked about how the sperm is drawn from these unwilling victims. In the majority of the cases, the victims do not recollect what would have happened since they always find themselves dumped, with signs that they had been sexually abused.

It is widely believed by traditiona­lists that sperm is used in juju portions that can help bring luck or boost businesses. Juju which helps criminals to prevent detection is said to be laced with sperm.

Strangely, it is also believed that sperm can be used in the production of facial creams and in hair conditioni­ng. The sperm is also said to be harvested for DNA. What the DNA is used for is yet another mystery.

In one report, some men reportedly picked up male street urchins, bathed and clothed them, before hiring prostitute­s for them in order to harvest sperm.

However, sperm harvesting is not only confined to Zimbabwe. Sperm harvesting is considered a lucrative business, especially in South Africa.

In South Africa, it was reported that condoms filled with sperm were selling like hot cakes. In 2018, Nigerian media reported that prostitute­s were collecting spermfille­d condoms and selling them. But why are the sperms not harvested from willing donors?

“Bad luck can be removed by juju, which is laced with semen. The semen, however, has to be forcibly taken from strangers, hence the force. Remember, the sperm is not harvested for scientific purposes but for removing bad luck,” said Sekuru Pambeni, a traditiona­l healer.

Sekuru Pambeni said sperm is associated with new life and rejuvenati­on and can help boost ailing businesses. The closest Zimbabwe came to solving this sperm collection riddle was in 2011 when three Gweru women were arrested after they were caught at a roadblock with THE majestic Mount Nyangani, which sits at 2,592 metres high, is the highest point in Zimbabwe.

It is located within the breathtaki­ngly scenic forests of the Nyanga National Park in the Eastern Highlands. Its perpetuall­y mist-covered peak gives it an imposing and mysterious appearance. It is also known for dramatic weather changes.

Local folklore says Mount Nyangani is inhabited by powerful ancient spirits and is a sacred place, long feared by its people and meant to be approached with caution.

Numerous rules must be followed when venturing there. One may not enter sacred locations on the mountain, lest they get lost and be doomed to aimlessly wander on the mountain until the angered spirits are appeased. Legend has it that if one comes across a colourful snake, a pot with no fire or a brick of gold -it is the spirits playing a trick on them. When that happens, it is best to ignore the sighting and quickly move on.

It is also recommende­d not to wear any red clothing when touring Mount Nyangani, as this is said to greatly upset the spirits.There are ways to avoid the spirits’wrath while on the mountain. Refraining by all means from relieving oneself on the mountain, avoiding profanity and abstaining from any sort of sexual activity are some of them.

But if the phenomena associated with this place are anything to go by, there is something more at work here beyond the peddled myths.

Visitors and locals who have come to the mysterious mountain have experience­d a wide range of strangenes­s.

The weather is said to have a malevolent mind of its own, with gusts of wind known to“attack”at the most inopportun­e times.

There are also numerous reports of visitors becoming dazed, confused or disoriente­d for no apparent reason.

Then there are the unidentifi­able sounds, strange lights and animals that seem to watch and follow visitors around. In addition to all of this, Mount Nyangani is perhaps most

31 sperm filled condoms. However, the case proved to be a dead end as the women, who were charged with 17 counts of aggravated indecent assault, were acquitted. DNA tests on the women and the alleged victims exonerated the alleged rapists. While the police known for its mysterious disappeara­nces - swallowing up hapless tourists. Although it is unknown just how many people have actually vanished on Mount Nyangani, there are many fairly modern cases of disappeara­nces that have remained unsolved.

A number of such disappeara­nces occurred in the 1980s. In 1981, two teenage daughters of a former Government minister, Tichaendep­i Masaya vanished without a trace on the mountain.

A massive search for them could not avail any evidence of what had become of them. Their disappeara­nce remains a complete mystery. A few years later, a 12-year-old schoolboy named Robert Ackhurst, who wandered off from a group on a school field trip, seems to have completely stepped off the face of the earth. Robert’s teacher was purportedl­y so upset that he had lost a child under his care such that he committed suicide the following year.

The ’80s would see at least three more inexplicab­le disappeara­nces on the mountain. But perhaps even stranger than those who have vanished without a trace on the mysterious Mount Nyangani are those who have disappeare­d, only to reappear later, with bizarre stories to tell.

Those who reappeared have been reported to have been in a trance-like state when they were found. What goes on at Mount Nyangani largely depends on who you are talking to.

The tribes of the area spin fabulous yarns of angry wandering spirits, dark magic and forbidden zones. Tribal elders have long warned that it is absolutely necessary to follow the rules of the mountain and not to anger the many roaming spirits that eternally guard Mount Nyangani.

Whatever the causes behind it, Mount Nyangani remains a mysterious place that marries stunning natural beauty with ominous legends, strange phenomena and sinister vanishings.

What mysteries and perils, natural or otherwise, hide in those mists?What happened to those who climbed the mountain and never returned? Were they victims of the hazards of hiking or did the mountain choose to keep them for itself?

Feedback: emmanuelka­fe22@gmail.com

believe sperm harvesting is a big racket and traditiona­l as well as faith healers describe the act as witchcraft, the sperm collectors have so far remained elusive.

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