Sundaymail Editor
A 31-YEAR-OLD MAN from Burma Valley is fortunate to be alive after a brutal attack by four individuals, including a woman, who mutilated his tongue and disappeared with part of it.
The incident, suspected to be a ritual attack, occurred after the victim, Honest Kokota, was accused of dating one of the suspects’ ex-girlfriend.
Honest is recovering at his parents’ home in Tokodo village, Burma Valley, after a sizeable part of his tongue was cut with a sharp object by the four individuals he had been drinking with at Chitakatira Business Centre.
He was rushed to Victoria Chitepo Provincial Hospital, where he was treated and discharged the following day.
The shocking incident has caused a stir in Chitakatira and Burma Valley.
The suspects did not take anything from Honest. Even his cellphone was not seized.
Our news crew visited the victim at his father’s homestead in Tokodo village, where he is recovering from the traumatic experience.
Visibly in pain and struggling to pronounce words, Honest denied ever dating Greater Mateta (29), one of the suspects.
“I am still in shock as to why people I was drinking with for most of the day would decide to kill me. It is a miracle that I am alive,” he said.
He recounted how he went to Chitakatira Business Centre on November 20, 2024 for drinks after delivering some relish at home.
He knew one of the suspects, Forget Mutepfa (35), who started buying him beer.
Around 10pm, as he was heading home, the assailants pounced down on him, accusing him of dating Mateta.
They produced a sharp object and cut a large piece of his tongue.
Honest managed to escape and informed his wife about the attack, before being taken to a local clinic and later Victoria Chitepo Provincial Hospital.
The victim is convinced the attack was ritualistic, as the assailants did not take anything from him or beat him up, but were determined to get a slice of his tongue.
Two suspects — Mutepfa and Mateta — have been arrested and appeared before Mutare magistrate Xavier Chipato on assault charges.
They were remanded in custody.
Two other suspects are still at large. — Manica Post
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Satanism scare hits Kwekwe school
A satanism scare hit Mgandani Secondary School in Zhombe, Kwekwe district, Midlands province, with a group of 15 female learners allegedly having fallen into a trance before attacking a female teacher and vandalising her house located within the institution’s premises.
The teacher, whose name has been supplied, was transferred to the school early this year.
Although cases of female learners falling into trances and acting strangely have been reported at the school before, the latest incident was worse.
The learners turned violent and indiscriminately attacked the female teacher.
According to sources, the learners became so powerful that no one could restrain them as they bayed for the teacher’s blood.
“About 15 female learners went berserk and started calling out the teacher and indiscriminately attacked her with whatever they could find.
”The teacher was targeted by the female learners, who exhibited extraordinary strength and went on to attack her cottage with stones, logs and even their bare hands,” said a source.
“The school head rescued the teacher and managed to sneak her out of the school premises, but her house had already had its windows and doors smashed.”
Kwekwe schools district inspector Herbert Maziriri confirmed the incident, saying the teacher should be transferred for her safety.
“I can confirm we are handling such a case where learners ran amok and started attacking a certain teacher. In fact, there are three female teachers who are affected, but one was the main target. We are working on their transfer from the school for their safety,” he said.
“We are not sure what the issues being raised by the learners are, and investigations are ongoing.”
Ward 13 councillor Sphiwe Ntenezi, who witnessed the drama as it unfolded, said: “As I speak to you, I am coming from the school and the situation was not good at all.
“We witnessed about 15 female learners going berserk and attacking the teacher’s house, which was located within the school premises. We are yet to ascertain the reason behind the attacks, but there should be something spiritual going on because this is not normal. The girls exhibited extraordinary power and they would even remove burglar bars with their bare hands, which is shocking.”
Cllr Ntenezi said this was not the first time such an incident had happened.
“Learners have been falling into trances before, but not at this magnitude. This has been happening for a while, but we never thought it would get to this level. This is a serious situation that we have at the school,” she said.
She added that they would conduct a cleansing ceremony at the school.
“I am sure there are a number of spiritual people, ranging from traditionalists to pastors, who can hold a cleansing ceremony as we try to put the situation under control. We are not sure what we are dealing with, so we will try from all angles.”
Headman Nduku said he had convened an emergency meeting to try and resolve the issue at the school.
“We held an emergency meeting with teachers, parents and the community, and we all agreed that there should be a cleansing ceremony to bring sanity to the school. It is a bad thing that teachers get attacked by learners; it is unheard of, and we want order so that lessons can proceed normally,” he said.
He added that they were looking for traditionalists, who can lead the cleansing process.
“We are now looking for people who can assist in the cleansing ceremony. We have so far received responses from local people and we will continue looking around,” he said. — Bulawayo Bureau
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UK mother hides daughter in drawer for three years
A mother has been sentenced to seven-and-a-half years in prison for concealing her daughter in a drawer for three years, depriving her of basic care and social interaction.
Chester Crown Court heard that the little girl, who had never seen daylight or enjoyed fresh air, was discovered just weeks before her third birthday, when the mother’s partner returned home to use the bathroom.
The toddler was found malnourished and resembling a seven-month-old, having been fed with milky Weetabix through a syringe.
She had matted hair, deformities, rashes and a cleft palate, with no medical care sought by her mother.
The child was left alone for extended periods, even during the mother’s visits to relatives over Christmas, and had never received a birthday or Christmas gift.
Judge Steven Everett described the situation as “catastrophic” for the child, who is now beginning to recover from her traumatic experience.
The mother, who pleaded guilty to four counts of child cruelty, kept her daughter hidden to avoid detection by her partner and other children.
The offences took place from early 2020 until the child’s discovery in 2023, when her cries were finally heard.
The judge ruled that the mother’s identity should remain confidential to protect the victim. — Wires
Tinaye Agere
Online Reporter