‘Haunted family should take traditional route’

Latwell Nyangu

TRADITIONAL healers believe that the story of a family haunted by goblins, which featured on Tilder Live last week, is not strange but a genuine challenge that, however, needs to be handled with care.

In an era where such stories are often dismissed as fiction, the story of the Dzapasi family featured on the popular programme hosted by Tete Tilder on both Star FM and her Facebook page.

While the story itself triggered mixed feelings amongst audiences, there is a significant section of society that believes the troubled family needs help and fast.

The Dzapasi family sought help during the Tilder Live show last week and also revealed that they have already visited several self-claiming prophets but without any success.

However, three days after the programme, one of the family members, Mai Sasha was involved in an accident where she lost her three-year-old daughter.

The little girl, Sasha was buried in Chegutu on Monday.

The accident came after Mai Sasha manifested and revealed that they had exposed some goblins belonging to their grandmother.

She was however, warned that she would pay the price for her actions.

The Zimbabwe National Traditional Healers’ Association (ZINATHA), president George Kandiero is of the view that the family needs the services of proper ‘specialists’ than prophets.

“Most definitely these things exist. Such stories are common just that people rarely go public about it. Others have relatives who practice witchcraft and even spouses but they do not make it known.

“They (Dzapasi family) can be assisted through exorcism which is everywhere even in churches or at sangomas.

“However, such issues have risks. Unfortunately, some of the people who are consulted are not honest and still claim to be able to fix the problem when they have no capacity. They end up making things worse.

“The problem comes on where do these goblins go after being exorcised? We have had cases where we have lost practitioners through that. There are certain types of cases that need exorcism but there is also a criteria used to look for a specialist,” he said.

Kandiero said, most prophets who are using social media to advertise may not be real.

“People want to hear through the grapevine, yet anyone given a chance, to sell themselves will always say vanogona.

“They should follow our procedure when it comes to recommending specialists depending on the nature of the problem.

“We have specialists, and they should just follow the procedure.”

A traditional healer, Sekuru Mutasa also believes that such cases require similar powers from those seeking to exorcise.

“The issue is that munhu ane zvinhu izvi haasi wematare, ndewehuroyi.

“You don’t go kumuporofita kuti abvise mushonga nekuti haazive kwakabva mushonga uyu.

“They (Dzapasi family) are saying, they have visited where they are not given correct help.

“They are going to wrong people and in our culture, we know kuti huroyi hunopihwa sei, hunopedzwa simba sei.

“These are secrets and are done in private offices.

“There are some adverts where some of these people lie and masquerade as true healers.

“Musati maenda kwavari, you have to engage and get nhume who visit the real matare.

“A signal should be sent ikoko, kune huroyi hwacho huzive kuti hondo yatanga.

“So, the fight starts from there and ukangoenda without consulting properly unofa.

“Ukangoenda usina kutanga warwisa zvinhu, ndopakurohwa nezvinhu.

“These cases are sorted but using genuine people (healers),” he said.

Madzibaba Paris from Kuwadzana believes there are good prophets out there with the capacity to deal with the problem faced by the Dzapasi family.

“I feel sorry for this family, but they lacked some good advice on where they should get help.

“There are good specialists in these matters. I am sure Tilder should direct them to the right people.

“In Harare, Marondera, there are many who can do the job. I now have 25 years in the field, zvidiki izvi and panenge parema, toisa dambudziko kuvakuru.

“Kudherera ukaona chidhoma chichithreatener, kureva kuti vaporofita vakaenderwa havana simba.

“Mhuri dzakawanda dziri kutambudzika, and zvidhoma zviriko.

“Zvinhu izvozvo zvinovadzimaidzisa kuti vasaende kumaporofita echokwadi.”