Avenging spirit bars boy from school

FOR two years now, a 13-year-old teenager from Honde Valley has been out of school and it is believed a vicious avenging spirit is barring him from setting foot at any learning institution.

This strange phenomenon has left the Madiro family stranded and desperate for a lasting solution for their grandchild’s challenges.

As a result, they have taken the matter to Chief Mutasa’s court, where the traditional leader has vowed to ensure the teenager is back in school.

In an interview, Chief Mutasa said: “I adjourned the matter to December 2. The matter has been dragging for too long because the culprit, who is the teenager’s grandfather’s brother, is playing hard to get.

“However, we will make sure he will be available at the next hearing on December 2 because we cannot continue watching this innocent soul being tormented like this while his peers are in school,” he said.

In an interview, the teenager’s grandfather, Claudio Madiro, said when schools opened for this term, they accompanied the teenager to a Chimanimani boarding school where he was enrolled, but they were forced to return with him after the spirit manifested itself and he became violent.

“Our dream was to send our grandchild to a good school so that he gets the best education.

TO prevent individuals with mental and personality disorders from hurting themselves or others, institutions must collaborate in the provision of security. Security strategies and measures at the facilities — including prisons — need to be more systematic across the country.

The idea is to provide a safe environment for inmates/patients, staff and visitors. This facilitates appropriate treatment for inmates/ patients, while protecting the wider public.

Most patients in these environments do not consent to their admission or detention, or they are not capable of such consent. Resultantly, they might try to escape or undermine the security arrangements in place.

This can be attempted through intimidation of staff or through other covert means. Security is, therefore, fundamental to avoid such problems.

There is often a dilemma when it comes to striking a balance between therapeutic relationships and maintaining a secure environment.

However, the spirit that possesses him does not allow him passage to any school premises.

“He should be in Form Two, but he has not seen any classroom door since we enrolled him for Form One last year. We have tried everything, but each time he gets to school, a dead man’s spirit manifests on him. He becomes violent and attacks other schoolchildren. He is now traumatised.

“The last time we tried accompanying him to school, we did not pass the tollgate just outside Mutare as the spirit started manifesting itself and demanded to be taken back home,” said Claudio.

He said they have tried homeschooling the teenager, but the spirit bars him from that as well.

The family appealed to anyone who might help the teenager spiritually so that he goes back to school.

“We have been everywhere with no joy. I have tried to reason with the avenging spirit to target me, but it flatly refuses. We are suffering, yet it was my brother who killed the man in question. Since my brother is refusing to carry his cross, it is better that the spirit torments me and not my grandchild. Please help me,” cried the man.

Claudio believes his grandson is being haunted by the spirit of a dead prisoner, Tapiwa Pukeni, who was allegedly killed by DanMadDanwell well

iro. was employed as a prison guard at Hwahwa Prison when he allegedly killed Pukeni years back.

“The avenging spirit possesses my grandchild and identifies itself as Tapiwa Pukeni, who died in prison at the hands of my brother,

Danwell, at Hwahwa Prison.

“As a result, my grandchild has not been visiting the toilet for normal defecation. It started when he was in Grade Five. He had to complete his primary school education from hospital beds, studying online,” he said. Claudio said a catheter and another tube had to be inserted into his grandson’s body to enable him to dispose of waste from his system as he spent three years in that condition. “The spirit forbids us from visiting Pukeni’s Chipinge home in the absence of Danwell. However, Danwell has refused to accept responsibility of Pukeni’s murder,” said Claudio.

He said they have sought the assistance of more than 30 traditional and spiritual healers and spent a lot of money in the process, but none of them was able to exorcise the spirit as it continues demanding Danwell’s presence. “The money we have used to consult different traditional healers is enough to buy a new haulage truck. Had Pukeni’s spirit allowed us, we would have appeased him without Danwell, but it is adamant that he be present,” he said.

Claudio added: “Danwell disappeared in

June and my grandson is suffering. My other grandchild has developed the same condition. I am afraid that if there is no remedy, deaths will be recorded in the family.”

In June, Chief Mutasa offered to escort the family to Pukeni’s family in Chipinge.

However, Danwell failed to show up on the day they were supposed to travel with the chief. When he appeared before Chief Mutasa’s community court, Danwell confirmed he was once a prison guard at Hwahwa Prison.

However, he insisted he never killed Pukeni. He says he does not even know the name.

Danwell accuses his brothers of working in connivance with traditional healers to implicate him in Pukeni’s murder. — Manica Post

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A man who attacked his drinking companion with a broken beer bottle after he snatched his beer and drank it was sentenced to 24 months in prison.

Elijah Moyo (21) appeared before a Kezi resident magistrate on assault charges, as defined in Section 89 (1) (a) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act. He pleaded guilty to the charge.

The magistrate slapped him with 24 months in jail, of which 14 months were suspended on condition he does not commit an offence involving use of violence.

The remaining 10 months were further suspended on condition he performs 350 hours of community service at Mahetshe Primary School.

In arriving at the sentence, the magistrate considered that Moyo was a first-time offender, who had pleaded guilty.

The magistrate explained that the courts emphasise the need to keep youthful offenders out of jail, as being youthful has always been considered a mitigating factor.

The court also found that the complainant, Honest Sibanda (25), did not suffer serious injuries, which was another mitigating factor.

The prosecutor argued that Moyo’s use of a broken beer bottle to attack Sibanda over a trivial matter was aggravating.

The court pointed out that society deserves protection from people who behave like Moyo.

Moyo and Sibanda engaged in a heated argument after the latter insisted on drinking the former’s beer.

Moyo eventually punched Sibanda in the face. He then snatched a beer bottle from Sibanda’s hand, broke it and stabbed him with one of the pieces.

After that, the matter was reported to the police, leading to Moyo’s arrest. — B-Metro