‘l am not a wizard’

 

Tendai Gukutikwa
Weekender Correspondent

A BUHERA man who is being accused of being a wizard has dragged his neighbour to Chief Makumbe’s court to clear his name.

Yeukai Marukutira claims that he spotted Simbarashe Marindire in his birthday suit as he was pacing up and down on her homestead during a wizardly mission.

The pair appeared before Chief Makumbe last week on Friday.

Chief Makumbe ruled that Marukutira had defamed her neighbour and that she should appease Marindire with a beast.

 

But Marukutira says when she spotted Marindire during the night in question, she immediately woke up her brother-in-law, Fungai Magadza, and told him about the issue.

“Magadza did not see the naked Marindire because he had already left when he woke up. We then retired to bed. The next morning we followed Marindire’s footprints back to his homestead. He is my neighbour and after we confronted him, he threatened to drag us to this court,” said Marukutira.

When asked why she had not called out the alleged wizard or followed him to his home that same night, Marukutira said she had been gripped by fear.

However, Magadza’s testimony contradicted his sister-in-law’s assertions as he said Marindire’s footprints showed that he was putting on some shoes, while Marukutira had said he was barefooted.

As a result of the contradictions, Chief Makumbe ruled in Marindire’s favour.

“If indeed you saw Marindire naked at your home, you should have raised alarm. You should have ensured that he was captured red-handed that very night and reported the matter to this court. The fact that you traced his footprints is not important, because the footprints could be anyone else’s. You two connived to fix him.

“The whole community is now shunning him because of the wizardly allegations you levelled against him. You should compensate Marindire with a beast,” said Chief Makumbe.

Marindire mourned: “I was on good social standing with other villagers until this woman labelled me a wizard. What is surprising is that everyone believed her. They now say l was behind some villagers’ deaths and illnesses.

“I was never outside during the said night. I was home all night with my family. She defamed my character and has to cleanse it. She should confess her lies and compensate me as ruled by the chief,” said Marindire.