Online Reporter
IN a shocking case that has left Plumtree residents shell-shocked, a woman, who has since been described as the “aunt from hell”, was hauled before the courts after turning her nieces into slaves and savagely torturing them after they escaped.
Sharon Moyo from Plumtree, Matabeleland South province, used her two teenage nieces as househelps.
When the girls, aged 16 and 18, fled to Botswana, Moyo pursued them.
She actually hired two thugs to help track them down in Sinyawu village, Botswana.
Once she found them, the teenagers were chained together like criminals, their hands bound with a thick, padlock-secured chain, before being dragged back into Zimbabwe like stolen cattle.
They were mercilessly sjamboked and bludgeoned with a hammer.
The 16-year-old was the first to experience Moyo’s wrath.
She was whipped until her body was covered in welts.
Then, like a prisoner of war, she was force-marched to another village, where the beatings continued.
Moyo is said to have lashed her buttocks before handing her a hoe and forcing her to work in the yard all day without food or rest.
Her elder sister was not spared either.
The 18-year-old was left battered, bleeding and bruised.
As punishment for fleeing, she was ordered to hoe the yard all night.
The teenage girls were held captive for three days before being released.
Bruised and broken, they ran to the police and Moyo’s reign of terror came to a crashing end.
She was brought before Plumtree magistrate Joshua Nembaware on two counts of physical abuse.
Moyo was convicted and sentenced to 18 months in prison.
Six months were suspended, meaning she will spend an effective 12 months behind bars.
Aunt or abuser?
Plumtree residents are still asking the same question.
But for the battered girls, the scars — both physical and emotional — will take a lifetime to heal. — Bulawayo Bureau
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Vegetable dispute ends in brutal attack
Shock and drama gripped Bulawayo Market when a vegetable vendor reportedly floored his rival with a brutal blow to the mouth during an altercation over a customer.
A war of words between Edson Dzipe and Sobala Khumalo quickly escalated into a fistfight that left shoppers astounded.
“It looked like nothing serious at first,” said a witness, identified only as Nomathemba.
“Then suddenly, Dzipe charged at Khumalo and landed a heavy punch. Khumalo just dropped and bled.”
According to Nomathemba, Khumalo collapsed in a pool of blood as stunned onlookers gathered around him.
A quick-thinking bystander rushed to the Bulawayo Central Police Station to report the chaos. Officers arrived swiftly and found Khumalo unconscious with a swollen mouth.
He was rushed to Mpilo Central Hospital.
Bulawayo police spokesperson Inspector Nomalanga Msebele confirmed the incident and issued a stern warning.
“We urge members of the public not to take the law into their own hands. Disputes should be resolved through elders, pastors, the police or trusted third parties,” she said.
What was meant to be a peaceful day of business ended in blood, bruises and a hospital run — all over a bunch of veggies. —B-Metro
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Boss forces househelp into rituals
A Mutare woman, Viola Marimbire, is at the centre of a storm after allegedly subjecting her domestic worker, Linda Tambara, to forced ritualistic incisions (nyora) and spiritual cleansing ceremonies.
Marimbire also allegedly tried to coerce Tambara into marrying her son, Wellington Manyarara, claiming the ancestors had ordained the union.
However, the marriage did not proceed after Tambara sought help from her father.
The allegations surfaced recently at Chief Mutasa’s community court, where Tambara testified against her former employer, accusing her of abuse and forced rituals.
In her testimony, she recounted how an ordinary day at work descended into a nightmare when Marimbire summoned two traditional healers from Mozambique, purportedly to assist her son.
“It was only three weeks into my employment when Marimbire invited traditional healers to perform rituals at her homestead. They summoned me into the house and I was introduced to the healers, who were from Mozambique,” she said.
“My employer instructed me to accompany them into a room, where they intended to make incisions on my body. I refused, but they overpowered me.”
Despite her pleas, the men allegedly proceeded to make the incisions on her forehead, chin and back using a razor blade.
“They applied an oily substance to the cuts and ordered me to discard the razor blade. I was terrified and disoriented. They gave me snuff to inhale and some finger millet to use for bathing. I had no idea what was happening.
“After the ritual, they claimed a spirit had possessed one of their relatives, declaring that I was to marry their son. The experience was so distressing that I called my father to collect me the following day, which he did.”
Marimbire denied the allegations, insisting the rituals were intended to benefit her son, not the househelp.
She told the court that her son, Wellington, had suffered burns during a domestic dispute with his girlfriend, prompting her friends from Mozambique — whom she described as “white garment prophets” — to visit and provide spiritual cleansing.
“When the prophets arrived, they focused on helping my son. During the prayer session, someone began manifesting and requested Tambara’s presence in the house. She was outside at the time but returned voluntarily.
“No one coerced her. The rituals took place while I was present, but I did not participate. When they handed her the razor blade, she discarded it herself,” she said.
However, Tambara insisted that she was held against her will and violated.
“The following day, they claimed their grandmother’s spirit had chosen me to be their son’s wife,” revealed Tambara.
Wellington corroborated Tambara’s testimony, revealing that he, too, had been subjected to the same rituals.
“They told me that I had evil spirits. I was confused about why they were making incisions on me. I recall asking why they were using a razor blade, but they insisted it was part of the healing process. My mother is fully aware of what transpired,” he said.
Chief Mutasa sternly warned Marimbire and cautioned her against involving individuals she was not related to, particularly minors or employees, in family rituals.
“You had no authority to subject this young woman to your rituals. Why did you involve her in your family’s spiritual affairs when she is not a relative? She is not your daughter. You have overstepped your bounds,” he said.
Chief Mutasa instructed Tambara’s father to consult traditional healers urgently to determine the purpose and potential consequences of the incisions.
“Go and ascertain the significance of these marks. Take her to trusted healers and obtain answers. This young woman clearly requires assistance, and it must be provided promptly. It is possible that she is no longer under your spiritual guidance and that is something you must address immediately,” he said.
Before adjourning the case to a later date, Chief Mutasa ordered Marimbire to meet transport costs for the Tambara family to return for the next hearing.
He also instructed her to bring the two Mozambican healers to court to explain their actions. — Manica Post
