Kombi driver accuses former employer of witchcraft

Dumani Moyo
A BULAWAYO kombi driver allegedly accused his employer of witchcraft on April Fool’s Day after she refused to return tyres she had failed to pay for.
The problem — he was not joking.
Evan Maphosa (26) of Njube was working for Norah Ncube (65), as a kombi driver when he supplied her with three tyres and she failed to pay him in full.

When Maphosa went to demand his tyres back from Mrs Ncube, she locked him outside the gate and in a fit of rage, Ncube started calling her a witch.

This was revealed when Maphosa appeared before provincial magistrate Mr Willard Maphios Moyo facing a charge of indicating witches. He was not asked to plead and was remanded out of custody to 6 May on $50 bail.

Prosecuting, Mr Mufaro Mageza told the court that on 1 April, at around 3pm, Maphosa and Ncube were coming from Luveve Police Station where they had gone to settle their dispute over the tyres she had failed to pay for.

“They proceeded to Emakhandeni where Ncube stays. When they arrived, Ncube locked herself in the yard preventing Maphosa from entering and collecting the wheels,” he said.

He added that Maphosa got angry and started insulting the woman accusing her of being a witch saying: “You are a witch; you killed your daughter. You sold her house and bought a kombi leaving your grandchild in poverty.”

The matter was reported to the police leading to Maphosa’s arrest.