Online Reporter
Tendai Gukutikwa
Weekender Reporter
A MAN from Marange stands accused of killing his live-in girlfriend, whom he allegedly deserted years ago.
The chilling allegations unfolded before Chief Mutasa’s community court, where John Chisikana was charged with the murder of his unidentified partner, a woman he had previously reported missing several years earlier.
Relatives of the deceased claim Chisikana orchestrated her mysterious disappearance and death — accusations he has consistently and vehemently denied.
Traditional healers, however, have reportedly implicated him, insisting that the woman’s restless spirit continues to torment her family.
Testifying before the court, Chisikana recounted the last time he saw his girlfriend alive.
He claimed he left for work while she was still asleep, only to return to an empty house and a disturbing note.
“On that fateful day, I left for work at around 7am while she was sleeping. When I came back at 10am during tea break, she was gone,” Chisikana told the court.
He said all that remained was a letter that left him confused and frightened.
“I found a letter saying she was gone forever. There was no explanation, nothing else,” he said.
Chisikana said the two had been cohabiting for only two months, and had not yet formalised their union.
“I had been staying with this woman for two months, and I had not yet paid roora. We were still planning our future,” he said.
He told the court that he immediately informed the woman’s relatives, hoping they would help locate her.
“The following day, I went to her aunt and explained what had happened. She told me that the woman would eventually return and that we should keep searching for her,” said Chisikana.
Years passed without any trace of the woman, until spiritual claims emerged from her family, accusing Chisikana of her murder.
“After four years, people from her family approached me saying her spirit was manifesting on one of their relatives, allegedly accusing me of killing her,” he said.
The matter was first heard at Chief Marange’s community court, where elders ordered the families to consult traditional healers together.
“When we consulted the traditional healers, they said her spirit was roaming around me. They said I was the one who killed her and that her death needed to be appeased,” Chisikana told the court.
Chisikana insisted he was innocent, but admitted he agreed to the appeasement under pressure.
“I did not kill her, but I was stressed, cornered and accused from all sides. That is why I said I would appease her death, even though I knew I was innocent,” he said firmly.
Chief Mutasa, delivered a stern warning to him.
“You can run away from people, but you cannot run away from truth. Nemesis has a way of catching up with people,” said Chief Mutasa.
The chief questioned Chisikana about the inconsistencies and the long silence surrounding the woman’s disappearance.
“A woman leaves your house and is never seen again. Years later, her spirit begins to speak. These are not matters this court can ignore,” said Chief Mutasa. He also criticised Chisikana for agreeing to appease a death he claims he did not cause.
“If you did not kill her, why did you agree to appease her death? People do not pay for crimes they did not commit,” said Chief Mutasa, adding that traditional courts exist to uncover truth, not to rush to conclusions driven by fear or emotion.
“This court must hear everything clearly.
“A person is missing, and accusations of murder are being made. We cannot treat this lightly,” he said, further warning that unresolved deaths often haunt families for generations.
“When blood cries from the ground, it will not stop. That is why these issues come back years later,” said Chief Mutasa.
The chief adjourned the matter to a later date to allow for further consultations.
