admin
Tendai Gukutikwa
Weekender Reporter
THE Nyatate area of Nyanga has been gripped by a strange sequence of events following the murder of a young suspected thief.
It is alleged that the restless spirit of Henry Tagwasha who died a few years ago after the community effected mob justice on him when he was caught stealing a chicken is seeking revenge and compensation.
The spirit, which now possesses a local minor girl, is demanding 105 cattle as compensation for the alleged crime. Tagwasha’s spirit also wants a he-goat and a rooster from each of the 15 men.
This has created a tense and chaotic situation within the families of the 15 men who allegedly fatally assaulted Tagwasha.
The demand which traditional leaders described as outrageous resulted in Acting Chief Saunyama negotiating with the avenging spirit to revisit its demand.
The matter appeared before Acting Chief Saunyama’s court last week on Friday where three of Tagwasha’s alleged murderers — Timothy Nyabunze, John Mafuwu and Ngonidzashe Bhande — had been summoned.
Acting Chief Saunyama begged Tagwasha’s spirit to reduce the number of cattle he wants from his alleged murderers.
However, Tagwasha’ spirit would not have any of it as it stated that Tagwasha’s life was cut short because of the bashing he got from the men.
“These cattle are not for me alone. From each man, one beast will be for the girl that I am possessing. I know that I am causing problems in her life.
“Another one will be for the traditional healer dealing with the matter, while one will be for the chief. This leaves me receiving four cattle from each of these men. Some of them have been trying to conceal their wrongdoings, but I will expose them one by one.
“Mafuwu was trying to cloud me with his traditional healers so that I would fail to locate him, but that did not work. I have been tormenting his family and he is now begging for forgiveness. Look at the loud-mouthed Mafuwu, he is now quiet” charged the spirit.
Acting Chief Saunyama asked Tagwasha’s spirit to stop tormenting the school girl that it possesses as her family has nothing to do with the murder.
The 13-year-old girl manifests at school anytime and her father said this has been disturbing her a lot.
“The other time she manifested after meeting one of the murderers’ children at school and she assaulted them. We fear that someone will be hurt if this continues,” said Leonard Masungo, the girl’s father.
After the chief’s plea, the spirit promised to release the girl and shift to one of the alleged murderers’ family members.
However, Tagwasha’s spirit refused to reduce the number of cattle it wants as compensation.
Nyabunze, who was convicted of culpable homicide and spent two years in jail for Tagwesha’s death, confirmed participating in beating him up.
He said they thought they were disciplining Tagwasha.
“We all thought that we were reprimanding the boy because he was a local teenager. On that particular day, he was caught stealing a chicken from an old lady. I assaulted him thinking that it would help him change his wayward behaviour, but he later died. Out of the 15 men who beat him up, only two of us were jailed. I thought that the avenging spirit would spare us since we served time in jail,” said the old man.
This infuriated Tagwasha’s spirit as it claimed that it was responsible for the short jail term that Nyabunze got from the court.
“They wanted to give you seven years and you only got two. How do you think that happened? It was me because I wanted you back home to pay for your sins. You should have been in jail up to now, but I assisted you in getting a lighter sentence despite the fact that you killed me. Be grateful and appease my spirit. Stop all these negotiations, otherwise I will attack you personally,” said the spirit.
The matter was adjourned to September 29 to allow Nyabunze, Mafuwu and Bhande to look for the livestock that the spirit is demanding.
Online Reporter