Online Reporter
Blessings Chidakwa
Herald Reporter
CULTURE and Heritage Ambassador, First Lady Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa, carried her vibrant Dare engagement to the heart of Manicaland Province, where a sea of villagers gathered at Chief Mutasa’s traditional court to witness how court cases are handled.
So great was the turnout that spillover sections had to be created outside Chief Mutasa’s traditional court, where others followed proceedings a powerful reflection of the hunger for dialogue, healing and moral restoration being championed by Mother Zimbabwe.
During the court session, all women, including the First Lady, sat respectfully on reed mats, while men took their seats, quietly listening as Chief Mutasa presided over deeply emotional cases that touched raw wounds of family, community, and spirit.
The cases handled are being received on the First Lady’s GBV toll-free line 575, such as ngozi, incest between daughters-in-law and their fathers-in-law, inheritance, child marriages, witchcraft, promiscuity, and ritual practices, among several others.
The court sessions created space for reflection and correction, as Chief Mutasa tackled issues eroding the moral fabric of society, while reviving the value of traditional systems in resolving such matters.
The most gripping exchanges centred on ngozi (avenging spirits), a haunting reality that has tormented families in the province for generations with a spirit having started manifesting after the First Lady inquired from Chief Mutasa about how issues like these are handled in his jurisdiction, among several other cases.
This is when the crowd was stunned as the spirit of Martin Machika allegedly manifested, speaking through a woman’s body and naming those behind his death, among them a self-styled prophet.
It was an emotional moment, and the First Lady wept after being touched by the proceedings.
Tongues fell silent as the accused fumbled before the traditional court, giving incoherent statements, prompting Chief Mutasa to call in law enforcement for deeper investigation.
In case after case, the court brought to light the complementary role between law and tradition.
Chief Mutasa reminded the court that while the law must take its course, the unseen hand of the spiritual world cannot be ignored, for true peace comes only when the spirits of the departed are appeased.
Not all was sombre. Laughter rippled through the gathering when a man accused his wife of bewitching him, claiming sorcery had left him with erectile dysfunction and bedwetting. Their heated exchange of accusations from witchcraft to abuse was met with Chief Mutasa’s firm counsel that medical treatment, not superstition, was needed.
On assault, Chief Mutasa said it should be reported to the police, while in cases of unlikely marital breakdown, traditional customs of divorce should be followed.
Yet darker stories soon followed. A disturbing case that came out during the court proceedings involved a 13-year-old girl impregnated by a 15-year-old boy. Instead of protecting their daughter, the girl’s parents married her off to the boy, allowing them to live as husband and wife, and they now have two children.
Chief Mutasa condemned the marriage of minors, stressing that the parents who legalised the union were equally to blame for violating the law and failing in their duty of care.
He urged that such matters must always be reported to law enforcement agents to safeguard children from exploitation.
Equally disturbing was the case of a village head, Victor Manyumwa, a custodian of tradition and justice, who was found to have deceived the court in a case involving his daughter who committed suicide in a neighbouring country due to alleged infidelity.
Mr Manyumwa refused to collect his daughter’s belongings, including clothing and kitchen utensils, citing foul play and the absence of a post-mortem report.
However, the court established that he had participated in the funeral processes, including the post-mortem process, prompting Chief Mutasa to fine him with one beast and a bucket of traditional grains, advising him to accept his daughter’s belongings.
He also ruled, in line with Shona culture, that no nyaradzo (memorial service) or cheneso rituals should be held for someone who committed suicide, as there is no ritual for appeasing a tainted spirit.
The family was given two weeks to resolve the matter.
Another case involved Prove Chigogo, who claimed to have divorced his wife, Mufaro Chigwande, after doubting the paternity of their third child. DNA tests, however, proved that he was indeed the father.
He also stood accused of unlawfully taking over some properties they acquired together, evicting her from their home, and emotionally abusing her during pregnancy.
Chief Mutasa ruled that while the court could not force people to remain in love, divorce must follow proper customs, such as sending gupuro (a divorce token).
He also noted that it was disrespectful to bypass these channels and confront in-laws directly. The wife’s mother-in-law was instructed to reprimand her son-in-law for his lack of respect.
Chief Mutasa encouraged the wife not to lose hope after divorce, reminding her that life continues.
On property matters, she advised the court that she had approached the High Court and was advised to continue with that route, while for child support she was referred to the Maintenance Court.
Another ngozi case was also brought before the court, involving spirits that demanded appeasement for deaths dating back to 1920 and 2015. The hearing was adjourned to next week.
After the court session, the First Lady, Dr Mnangagwa, who thanked the people for coming in their numbers, highlighted that, just like anyone else, she drew many lessons from the dare, paying respects to Chief Mutasa.
Mother Zimbabwe said what had brought her were the concerns of issues that often arise in her office, reminding women of her toll-free number, 575, which does not require payment.
“You are free to call and share your concerns so that you may receive the assistance you need. A large number of these issues are matters that come from the traditional courts,” she said.
“Indeed, we have churches, customs, and cultural practices. People are free to follow whichever path they choose. However, many of the cases raised are serious matters which fall under the jurisdiction of the courts of law, be it traditional or criminal.”
Dr Mnangagwa said when someone is murdered, the suspect is jailed but later released and returns to the community, but families then ask: has the spirit of the deceased truly found justice in the courts?
It was at that moment that loud cries were heard from the crowd as people began to manifest.
“These are the issues that trouble families and cause deep pain. While such cases may go through the courts, in our communities the pain and conflicts often remain unresolved, prompting the traditional courts to play their role. Some cases involve strained relations between in-laws fathers-in-law, daughters-in-law, and so on.”
The champion of social justice, Dr Mnangagwa, also tackled some of the social vices.
“As women, let us be mothers who stand firmly for truth. My dear sisters, let us not allow promiscuity, such that problems brought about by pregnancies outside marriage destroy the peace in families where we are married,” she said.
Dr Mnangagwa also castigated drug and substance abuse, which has destroyed several lives.
Minister of State for Manicaland Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Advocate Misheck Mugadza, said they were humbled by the First Lady’s humility.
“Mother, you are a humble person to have come here to the land of Chief Mutasa. You respect our traditions and our traditional leaders so much, leading the way for us,” he said.
As has become the norm, Mother Zimbabwe, in her generosity, donated several food hampers to the elderly, people with disabilities, and child-headed families who attended the traditional court session.
Driven by the need to restore morality among citizens, the First Lady, Dr Mnangagwa, has been tapping into the country’s rich cultural heritage, which has inbuilt mechanisms to fight challenges that affect people and mould them into responsible citizens.
