Online Reporter
Tendai Gukutikwa
Weekender Reporter
A PENHALONGA woman has accused her former husband, a gold dealer, of sacrificing their two-year-old son in alleged wealth-enhancing rituals, claiming the toddler’s inability to walk or speak is linked to supernatural practices purportedly carried out to boost his business fortunes.
The allegations surfaced last Saturday during a hearing before Chief Mutasa’s community court, where the child’s father, Emmanuel Guruchena, sought intervention, arguing that he was being unfairly blamed for the child’s condition.
During the proceedings, the child’s mother, Pamela Mwanaka, stood firm on her accusations, insisting that Guruchena knows the true cause of their son’s condition and has not fully cooperated in efforts to seek what she described as traditional remedies.
The child, now two years and five months old, is reportedly unable to walk or talk despite undergoing numerous medical examinations and consultations with doctors, prophets and traditional healers.
Addressing the court, Guruchena strongly denied any involvement in rituals involving his child, attributing the accusations to perceptions surrounding his improved financial status since entering the gold trade.
“My former partner is accusing me of using our child for wealth-enhancing rituals. She claims that I used to struggle financially and that my fortunes changed after I sacrificed our child. These allegations are completely false. I would never harm my own child,” he said.
Mwanaka, however, said her suspicions stem from incidents she claims to have witnessed personally, as well as information she allegedly received from several traditional healers.
She said she was once married to Guruchena before their relationship broke down, leaving her to raise the child largely on her own.
“I was married to him, but our relationship ended and I was left to care for the child. After I gave birth, he promised to support both of us and everything seemed normal at first,” she said.
According to Mwanaka, concerns about the child’s wellbeing began when he was about three-months-old.
“The baby was constantly ill and cried almost every day. I became worried because nothing seemed normal,” she said.
She further alleged that when the child was around six-months-old, Guruchena invited her to accompany him to a traditional healer.
“When I arrived, I found him participating in rituals. That was the last time I saw him making a serious effort to find a solution to our child’s condition. From that moment, I began to suspect that something was wrong,” she claimed.
Mwanaka further alleged that her suspicions deepened after she travelled to Chinhoyi in search of answers about her son’s condition.
She claimed that Guruchena became upset when he learnt about the trip, and questioned why she had travelled without informing him beforehand.
According to Mwanaka, consultations with a prophet and other spiritual practitioners reinforced her belief that the child’s condition was linked to the father’s alleged actions.
“We consulted different people seeking answers. At one point, his father, while manifesting, allegedly suggested that his son had been involved in something with a traditional healer from Mozambique. Another healer later told us the same thing. After hearing similar claims from different people, I became convinced that he knew what had happened,” she told the court.
Mwanaka said Guruchena recently gave her US$600 to assist with the child’s medical treatment, but despite consulting several doctors, she said she was still no closer to understanding the cause of the toddler’s condition.
“I used the money he gave me to consult various doctors, but they said the child was not disabled. Everywhere I go, people tell me that the father knows what is happening. They say he is the only one who can help resolve the problem, yet he refuses to consult traditional healers. My child is now more than two years old and still cannot walk or speak,” she said.
Guruchena, however, dismissed the allegations as unfounded and denied ever engaging in any ritual practices involving his son.
“I have never done anything to my child. I have never even been to Mozambique, so I do not know where these stories are coming from,” he said.
He also accused Mwanaka of repeatedly contacting him at inappropriate hours regarding the child’s condition, saying the situation had created tension in his current marriage.
“She calls me late at night demanding that I come and check on the child. I am now married and cannot simply leave my home during the night. Despite everything, I continue to provide financial support for my child whenever I can,” he said.
Guruchena’s father also rejected claims that he had implicated his son during consultations.
“What she is saying is not true. I never told anyone that my son was responsible for the child’s condition. In fact, one of my own children experienced delayed walking and only started walking during the third year. I believe my grandchild may also improve with time,” he said.
Presiding over the matter, Chief Mutasa urged both families to avoid drawing conclusions without medical evidence, stressing that the child’s condition could have a medical explanation requiring specialist attention.
The traditional leader noted that the child had already shown signs of progress.
“From what has been explained, the child can now sit on his own and can stand with assistance. Previously, he could not even sit. That shows there is improvement. The child should undergo physiotherapy and be examined by specialist doctors so that the exact cause of the condition can be established,” said Chief Mutasa.
While acknowledging the mother’s concerns, the chief also sought to promote reconciliation between the two families and encourage a cooperative approach to helping the child.
He advised both parties to continue pursuing medical intervention and, if they so wished, jointly consult a traditional healer.
