Sundaymail Editor
Online Reporter
TRADITIONAL and faith healers last week temporarily shelved their healing paraphernalia, and went back to school as part of efforts of finding ways to curb ritual killings and forced marriages.
The traditional and faith healers, who fall under the auspices of the Zimbabwe National Practitioners Association (ZINPA), converged at a game reserve outside Harare, where they were taught how to conduct their healing practices without breaking the law.
Among the keynote speakers were members from the Zimbabwe Republic Police’s Victim Friendly Unit (VFU) and the ZINPA leadership.
ZINPA president, Bishop Cuthbert Nyaruvenda, singled out the session in which traditional and faith healers freely interacted with the police’s VFU as the most beneficial.
“Some of us were actually breaking laws, as we were conducting our rituals in a manner that can actually attract custodial sentences. This workshop was an eye-opener and we are definitely going to have such interactions with key stakeholders in the near future,” Bishop Nyaruvenda said.
Among some of the topics that were discussed were ritual killings, genital mutilation, forced marriages and virginity tests.
Online Reporter
Bongani Ndlovu