Healer forces family to stay in the open

Tendai Gukutikwa Mutare Bureau
A self-proclaimed traditional-cum-faith healer from Sakubva allegedly forced his family of four to stay in the open at his shrine for years as a way of avoiding paying rentals.

Simon Sikireta’s family had been staying in the open for sometime until his wife, Shamiso Rusawe, decided to rent a room in the sprawling high-density suburb.

Sikireta refused to move in with the family and has since turned his back on them, insisting that the rentals were beyond his reach, yet it is claimed that he gets about $2 000 monthly from his traditional healing job. The traditional healer also refused to have his three children obtain birth certificates.

Rusawe spilled the beans when she dragged Sikireta to court last Friday praying for maintenance.

Mutare magistrate, Mr Innocent Bepura, ruled that Sikireta should contribute towards the welfare of his children. He was made to pay $75 as monthly maintenance.

He was also given a 21-day ultimatum to ensure that the three children had birth certificates. Rusawe told the court that Sikireta was a violent and selfish man.

She told the court he was in the habit of threatening her with death and at one time he was arrested on murder allegations.

“I realised that he had a lot of money when he was arrested on murder allegations, she said. He surrendered close to $2 000 to the police. I was shocked because we have been living in poverty; myself and his children while he had that much money.”

Rusawe told the court that at times Sikireta charged his clients $100 for consultation and sometimes more for the healing.

Sikireta was adamant, insisting that he earned less than $100 a month at his shrine and that he could not afford the $140 that his wife was claiming.

He told the court that his family used to stay with him at the shrine, but because his wife had decided to rent a room in Sakubva she had to cater for the rentals herself.

“I am saving the money that I am getting as a traditional and faith healer to build a house for my children at my plot, he said. She can come back to the shrine or go and stay at our plot because I cannot cater for her rentals when she is the one who moved out.”