Online Reporter
Belindah Chikandiwa
A HARARE woman, Kalista Chipenga, applied for a protection order yesterday at the Harare Civil Court against her father, Try Chipenga, for allegedly forcing her to participate in disturbing rituals.
Kalista claims that her father verbally abuses her when he is intoxicated, accusing her of being bewitched by her mother’s relatives and labelling her as “useless.”
She recounted a particularly frightening incident when her father tried to force her to take some herbs.
“Whenever he comes home drunk, he insults me and forces me to use traditional herbs from a healer. Once, when I refused to use the herbs he brought, he attempted to assault me, claiming they would cleanse my bad luck.”
Kalista described a traumatic experience involving blood that her father insisted she use. “He brought home blood—I’m not sure where it came from—and when I refused, he took me to a waterfall, making me stand in the water. I ended up having difficulty breathing,” she said.
The presiding Magistrate, Meenal Narotham, granted Kalista the protection order, ensuring her safety from her father’s alleged abuse.
