Mysterious goat resurfaces

Last year Chronicle reported about the goat when it first arrived at the hospital, but nothing has been done to address the issue, which has since become the talk of the town again.

Hospital officials yesterday expressed concern over the animal, saying it was a nuisance.

“The goat has become a problem at the hospital as it enters the wards and in the process disturbs patients as it rummages for food. We are appealing to the owner to come and take it,” said a hospital worker, who declined to be named.

A patient, who identified herself as Ms Gloria Ndou said they have sleepless nights as the goat walks into the wards in search of food.

“There is a mysterious goat, which is causing trouble in the wards. Everyday it enters the wards looking for left overs either during the day or at night,” she said.

A senior hospital official said they have for the past one year been making efforts to locate the owner of the stray goat but to avail.

“We have on many occasions tried to chase the goat away from the hospital yard, but it continues to find its way back. We are failing to find its owner and we have since notified the Beitbridge Town Council and the Department of Veterinary Services so that they permanently remove it from our yard,” said the official.

When Chronicle visited the hospital yesterday, the goat was foraging for food in dustbins.

The presence of the animals has prompted local traditional healers to come up with all sorts of theories.

“Normally when you find a goat behaving in a rather strange manner it means some evil spirit would have been put on it and such animals should not be tampered with as they are dangerous.

“The best thing is to keep your distance from such an animal,” said Mr Lovemore Chikato, a local traditional herbalist.

A local traditional healer who declined to be named, said: “Such cases are not new in our traditional African set up, people use domestic animals for evil purposes and you will find this goat in question might be the work of the devil. Someone might have deliberately planted it at the hospital so that whoever touches it automatically gets bad luck.”