New twist to mysterious bag saga

A Marange prophetess-cum-traditional healer and a prophet stands accused of swindling an unsuspecting elderly man of five cattle as she claimed that the bag he had disposed of in a river had mysteriously appeared at her home 120km away.

It is further alleged that Mbuya Bhora Chikonzo was working with Madzibaba Job Manhanga who advised Sekuru Oliver Mutukuwe to dispose of the bag in Umvumvumvu River.

Inside the bag was Sekuru Mutukuwe’s alleged goblin.

After being discarded in Umvumvumvu River, Sekuru Mutukuwe’s bag is alleged to have mysteriously appeared at Mbuya Chikonzo’s homestead that same day. The two areas are not linked by a river. Two days later, Mbuya Chikonzo reportedly sent a messenger with a letter to Sekuru Mutukuwe to tell him that his “parcel” had been well received.

The letter, which is alleged to have been signed by the elderly woman, was brought before Acting Chief Mutambara’s court.

The chief summoned Mbuya Chikonzo and Madzibaba Manhanga after Sekuru Mutukuwe had expressed doubts about how the bag had mysteriously landed at the traditional healer’s house.

Narrating the issue, Sekuru Mutukuwe said after the messenger arrived, his brother escorted him to Mbuya Chikonzo’s home in Marange.

“When we arrived there, we were shocked to see the bag that I had dumped in the river at her home. It was not wet or damaged, everything was intact.

“I am still in shock because she knew my full name, including my nickname and where I stay.

“She told me that the wandering spirit (shavi) that I had been using all along to enhance my wealth belonged to her relative, only identified as Zephaniah,” said Sekuru Mutukuwe.

Mbuya Chikonzo is alleged to have demanded a payment of five cattle as she accused Sekuru Mutukuwe of using her dead relative’s spirit to enrich himself.

She sent her granddaughter to collect the cattle.

Madzibaba Manhanga professed ignorance over how the bag got to Mbuya Chikonzo’s home.

“I am blind as you can see. How could I have taken the bag to Mbuya Chikonzo like is being claimed here? God revealed to me that Sekuru Mutukuwe had a goblin that had to be discarded.

“I told him the bag had to be thrown into the river so that mermaids could retrieve it. I do not know how the bag ended up in Marange. My hands are clean on this issue,” said Madzibaba Manhanga.

However, Mbuya Chikonzo distanced herself from the whole issue and said she was not the one who had attended to Sekuru Mutukuwe and his brother.

She claimed that a stranger was using her ‘surgery’ on the day in question.

“These men were conned and I have nothing to do with it. I am not the one who sent that messenger they are referring to. Yes, they came to my home, but they were assisted by a stranger. I never talked to them.

“The conman arrived at my home that day and asked if he could use my ‘surgery’ as he had clients that were coming from afar. I gave him the nod to use my ‘surgery’ because he had told me that he was a Zviratidzo Zvevapostori Church member, just like me. I do not know these two people,” she said.

Acting Chief Mutambara referred the matter to the police, saying it was no longer a civil, but a criminal case.

“We are on our way to report the matter to the police. We suspect that the two healers worked in cohorts to con this man and this court does not tolerate the extortion of people’s wealth. The law should take its course,” said the chief.