Chronicle Editor
Freedom Mupanedemo, Midlands Bureau
A TRADITIONAL healer from Gweru who has been “detaining” two minors for the last four years after their parents failed to raise two beasts as payment for treating them yesterday said there were some rites that must be performed before she could release the children.
The inyanga, Ms Juliet Mpofu, popularly known as Gogo Maphilisa has been staying with the two minors, aged 11 and 15 since 2013 when their mother, Ms Simangele Zimba, handed them over so that she could treat a rare body and foot disease that was afflicting them.
Gogo Maphilisa said the two minors were not the only “patients” she has kept at her house for such a long period as there has been others whom she had kept for more than 10 years.
Ms Zimba recently sought police intervention for her to reunite with her children but later backtracked and said she would allow Gogo Maphilisa to briefly keep the kids as she looked for money to buy the required beasts.
The kids have also told the police that they were more comfortable staying with Gogo Maphilisa than their mother who divorced their father and has since remarried.
In an interview yesterday, Gogo Maphilisa said she had no problem releasing the kids but there were some traditional rites involving an all-night vigil that the parents should organise as part of welcoming their children back.
This, she said, will help complete the healing process.
“I am a spirit medium and I heal with guidance from above. There must be a vigil where people should gather, celebrate the healing process of these kids through song and dance. Without this, there is a danger these kids will have this problem again. I have told their parents this over and over and this is what I do to every patient I discharge,” she said.
She said once the rituals were done she was free to release the children into the custody of their mother.
“It will be up to them to then come back and thank me for treating the kids and taking care of them for the last four years. They are going to school. I pay fees for them and the police who mediated over the issue saw their school reports.
“We then agreed that since it’s now near year-end, we should just let the kids finish this term and then they re-unite with their mother,” she said.
Gogo Maphilisa said she has spent more than the cost of two beasts in the four years she has been with the kids and that the payment was only a matter of principle of the occult.
“Actually when I consulted with the spirit when the kids who could not walk were brought here for the first time, the spirit wanted five beasts but for the sake of helping life, I only said two and it’s not that they should be forced to pay. It’s just a thank you for the job the spirit using me did to heal the kids,” she said.
Online Reporter