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A female Rusape traditional healer who kidnapped 13 security men and congregants from Prophet Walter Magaya’s church who had accompanied a man who wanted to return a knobkerrie (tsvimbo) to the sangoma was last week jailed for 18 months.
Venencia Donda (50) popularly known as Mbuya Vhene of Plot One Kairezi B in Nyazura was jointly charged together with her seven aides who are Mathius Donda (52), Micheal Donda (45), Davison Chingwendere (45), Murahwa Bvekerwa (32), Eunice Donda (44), Esnath Wapiya (31) and Jambo Munyanyi (37).
However, other five aides were acquitted due to lack of evidence with only Micheal Donda and Murahwa Bvekerwa being convicted together with Mbuya Vhene.
Donda and her aides had provincial magistrate Mr Shingi Mutiro to thank who wholly suspended the sentence on condition that the trio will not commit a similar offence in the next five years.
Public prosecutor Mr Tafara Chawatama told the court that the complainants went to the homestead of Donda accompanying Muchafa Jonas Mazangade who wanted to return a knobkerrie that he was given by Donda but was now refusing to take it back.
“On 12 February 2015 the complainants who are from Prophetic Healing and Deliverance Ministries proceded to the homestead of Venencia Donda with two Toyota Hiace vehicles to assist Mazangade to return a knobkerrie he was given by Donda.
“Donda accused Mazangade of having broadcasted on Yadah Television undermining her healing powers. She ordered the other accused persons who are her aides to block the complainants from leaving her homestead.
“Mathius Donda drove a Toyota Surf vehicle which belongs to Venencia Donda and blocked the only entrance to the homestead. The other accused persons surrounded the vehicles of the complainants. The complainants slept in the vehicles and they were released on the following day at around 11 am, said Mr Chawatama.
Mazangade also told the court that the knobkerrie which he was given by Mbuya Vhene was now troubling him so he wanted to return it but she was refusing to take it back and he went to seek spiritual healing from Prophet Magaya who wanted to burn it but he refused preferring to return it to the owner.
“On 5 December 2015 I visited Venencia Donda’s homestead seeking ritual cleansing with my relatives. She gave me a knobkerrie to use for three days. After three days I went back to her with the tsvimbo but she refused to take it back saying i should come back with my relatives.
“The knobkerrie was now burdening me. On 23 December 2014 I returned with my relatives but she told me that I had breached her traditional rituals by sleeping and having sexual intercourse with my wife. I denied the allegations but she refused to take back the knobkerrie.
“I then went to the PHD Ministries with my wife whilst i was there Prophet Magaya called me and i narrated the whole story to him. Prophet Magaya wanted to burn the knobkerrie but i refused and told him that i should return it back to the owner.
“Prophet Magaya then offered me two of his omnibuses for transport with my relatives and his church members to go and return the tsvimbo to the n’anga and that is where we were kidnapped.
Online Reporter