Online Reporter
Tendai Gukutikwa
Weekender Reporter
A MUTARE senior citizen has dragged her son-in-law before Chief Mutasa’s community court, demanding five cattle as compensation for what she says is a baseless and damaging accusation that she bewitched her daughter, causing repeated miscarriages.
Mbuya Kudakwamwari Matongo filed the claim against her son-in-law, Shingirirayi Muchemwa, and Julius Matongo, accusing them of spreading rumours that she was behind her daughter’s pregnancy losses.
She told the court that the allegations had tarnished her reputation, caused emotional distress, and even led to estrangement from her daughter.
“It all started in 2022 when son-in-law went around telling community leaders that we, as his wife’s parents, were refusing to consult traditional healers because my daughter was failing to conceive. This year, we ended up going to five traditional healers, and none of them said I was responsible,” said Mbuya Matongo.
She added that some healers were puzzled by her presence.
“They would ask me why I was there, saying the issue was between husband and wife. Sekuru Mukotsanjera even cleared me completely. But despite that, they continued to say I was the one behind my daughter’s miscarriages,” she said.
According to her, the accusations spread beyond the family circle.
“My name has been dragged through the mud. I have been talked about in the community. The matter appeared before this court before, and I was broadcast live on YouTube, mentioned on radio, and even in newspapers and online.
“People now look at me as if I am the witch who will not let her child have a baby. That is why I am demanding five beasts from both of them. My dignity has been soiled,” she said tearfully.
She revealed that her daughter had cut ties with her, convinced she was the cause of her misfortunes.
“I last saw and spoke to my daughter two years ago. She refuses to meet me or accept my calls,” she said, adding that the stress had left her suffering a stroke.
Muchemwa, however, sought to distance himself from directly accusing his mother-in-law of witchcraft, though he admitted the miscarriages had strained his marriage.
“I have since married another woman, and I now know that I am fertile. I have a child with her, as we speak,” he told the court, further confirming that he and his former wife had sought medical help from several doctors during their marriage.
“We consulted doctors together to try and understand what was happening. It was not an easy time. We were both under pressure,” he said.
Although he did not openly repeat the witchcraft claims before the chief, the underlying suspicion that something beyond medical explanation was responsible for the miscarriages had previously inflamed tensions between the families.
Julius Matongo, her brother-in-law, also denied accusing her of witchcraft.
“I never said she was a witch. In fact, this problem was in the family even before Mbuya Matongo was married into it. She is upset because her daughter and son-in-law came to me with their problems, saying their own parents were not helping them,” Julius told the court.
He further revealed that other relatives had experienced similar tragedies.
“My other brother’s daughter also had babies who died before they reached six months, and this was way before Mbuya Matongo was married into the family.
“If this is spiritual, it has nothing to do with her, but with the Matongo family, so I do not think I would accuse her as she is alleging. This is not something that started with her,” he said.
Chief Mutasa cautioned against making grave accusations without concrete proof.
“These are sensitive matters that require wisdom. When a couple struggles to conceive or suffers miscarriages, emotions run high. But pain must not lead us to accuse someone of witchcraft without evidence,” said the chief.
He stressed the importance of medical evaluation over speculation.
“If there are fertility problems, both husband and wife must undergo proper medical tests. Besides, this woman is not barren as the husband would like this court to believe; she has become pregnant countless times and miscarried, so you cannot come here, and be pompous that you now have a child outside marriage to prove a point. Do not rush to supernatural explanations when there are doctors who can help,” he said.
The chief warned that publicly labelling someone a witch carries lasting consequences.
“When you call someone a witch, that label does not disappear easily. Even if it is not true, the community remembers. That is why such words must be handled with extreme care,” he said.
Chief Mutasa said the court will deal with the compensation matter after first addressing all the families involved, and he urged the families to prioritise healing over hostility.
“Miscarriages are painful and often medically complex. Families must support each other during such times, not tear each other apart,” he said.
The matter was adjourned to February 28, to allow further deliberation and possible medical consultations.
