Online Reporter
Tendai Gukutikwa
Weekender Reporter
HAUNTED by what he believes is an invisible force wrecking his life, a man in his 30s from Nyanga stunned Chief Mutasa’s community court last Saturday with claims that he remains unmarried and jobless because of a “goblin wife” — a jealous spirit said by traditional healers to sabotage love and prosperity.
Herbert Kwambana appeared before Chief Mutasa’s traditional court seeking intervention, after clashing with his maternal uncle, William Kwambana, who has refused to accompany him to spiritual consultations he believes could break a curse.
Herbert told the court that every romantic relationship he enters mysteriously collapses within two weeks, while his attempts to secure stable employment end in repeated disappointment.
He said his troubles began suddenly in his youth, leaving him frustrated and increasingly isolated.
After consulting several healers, Herbert was allegedly told that a “goblin wife” had attached itself to him — a jealous spirit blocking both marriage and financial stability.
He now hopes the court will compel his uncle to join him in the rituals that healers insist are necessary to resolve the affliction.
“As I was growing up, things suddenly became difficult. I struggled to keep jobs, struggled financially, and even my relationships would fail without explanation. At first, I thought it was just bad luck, but the problems continued year after year,” testified Herbert.
He said desperation eventually drove him to seek help from both faith healers and traditional healers.
“The healers told me there is a spirit troubling my life. They said I would never settle down in marriage and would continue struggling to find stable work unless my maternal uncles are called so the spirit can reveal its demands.”
Herbert explained that the situation has become emotionally draining, as relationships collapse abruptly despite starting well.
“I can meet a woman, everything appears normal, but after about two weeks the relationship suddenly ends. Sometimes communication just stops mysteriously. Other times misunderstandings erupt from nowhere. I was told this is because I have a spiritual wife who becomes jealous whenever I try to commit to another woman.”
His greatest frustration, he said, is that the uncle whom healers insist must participate in the consultations refuses to cooperate.
“My mother passed away and I do not know my biological father, so my mother’s brother is the elder I depend on. But he keeps refusing to attend the consultations with me. That is why I eventually decided to bring the matter before the court.”
Herbert’s uncle, William Kwambana, rejected claims that he had abandoned his nephew, instead accusing Herbert of becoming overly dependent on spiritual explanations for his struggles.
William said Herbert once stayed with him in Gweru, where he developed a strong attachment to white garment churches and cleansing rituals.
“He would bring bottles of holy water from different churches and secretly keep them under his bed. He became deeply involved in spiritual practices, and over time I started worrying that he was relying too much on prophets and healers,” William said.
He recounted how Herbert later returned to Nyanga, and phoned him, insisting that healers had instructed him to bring his uncles for consultations.
“I advised him not to blindly trust every prophet or healer he meets, because many people end up confused and frightened after receiving such prophecies,” explained William.
The uncle maintained that Herbert never fully disclosed the seriousness of the matter or the details about the alleged “spiritual wife.”
“He only mentioned problems with work and consultations. He never clearly told me there was supposedly a spirit preventing him from marrying. Today is actually the first time I am hearing these details in full,” he said.
William added that after refusing to attend the consultations, Herbert initially reported the matter to a headman’s court, but later withdrew the complaint. “Since then, we as a family have been waiting for him to sit down with us properly and explain everything troubling him. Families solve problems through communication. Had he approached us openly, we could have looked for solutions together,” he said.
Herbert, however, dismissed his uncle’s account as dishonest, insisting he had repeatedly explained the spiritual claims.
“My uncle knows exactly what I told him. At first, he warned me against trusting white garment churches, and urged me to consult traditional healers instead. When I later visited traditional healers, they too demanded that I bring my elders. When I informed him again, he refused and told me to look for other relatives,” said Herbert.
He said the uncertainty surrounding his life had left him emotionally drained. “At my age, people expect me to have a family, children, and stable employment — but I remain stuck in the same situation year after year. I just want answers and peace in my life,” he added.
Presiding over the matter, Chief Mutasa urged both parties to set aside hostility and pursue dialogue within the family structure.
The chief subsequently adjourned the case to a later date, allowing time for further spiritual consultations and family discussions.
