Online Reporter
A36-year-old Bulawayo man has been sentenced to a year in prison after he squandered US$1 800 belonging to his wife.
Trymore Shoko of Nkulumane suburb now has time to reflect on budgeting, responsibility and marriage etiquette after he blew the money his wife had given him for safekeeping.
Prosecutor Cathrine Kuzu told the court that between December 12 last year and May 13 this year, Shoko’s wife, Thembelihle Mercy Mabhena (36), gave him various amounts of cash for safekeeping.
At first, everything seemed normal.
However, it all changed when Mabhena asked for her money back.
“On May 13, the complainant asked her husband to hand over the cash, but he failed to do so. A police report was made, leading to his arrest,” said Kuzu.
The money was never recovered, leaving both the court and the complainant wondering whether it had been invested, misplaced or simply vanished into thin air.
Gasps of disbelief rippled through the Western Commonage courtroom as magistrate Jeconia Prince Ncube delivered the sentence for unreasonable disposal of matrimonial property.
Of the 12-month sentence, six months were suspended for five years on condition Shoko does not repeat similar “financial gymnastics”.
The remaining six months were further suspended on condition that he refunds his wife US$1 800 before July 17 — a deadline that now appears more terrifying than prison itself.
Magistrate Ncube emphasised that matrimonial trust is not a “withdraw and forget ATM arrangement”.
Shoko now faces the uncomfortable reality of either raising US$1 800 or spending time behind bars. — Bulawayo Bureau
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Rituals and tombstones at family cemetery threaten to tear family apart
A long-brewing feud within the Pamwa family dramatically played out at Chief Mutasa’s community court recently after shocking claims that a traditional healer had secretly gathered two kilogrammes of soil from the family cemetery and taken it to South Africa without consent.
The atmosphere in Chief Mutasa’s courtroom was thick with tension as members of the Pamwa family seethed over what they claimed to have been desecration of graves and clandestine rituals at the cemetery.
Relatives claimed that, for years, secret ceremonies had been performed, tombstones erected without consultation and traditional healers covertly engaged — actions they claim deepened divisions within the family.
Testifying before the chief, Wilfred Pamwa recounted how suspicions first arose after his sister’s sudden and mysterious death in Marondera.
He said she had spoken of unsettling spiritual encounters in the days leading up to her death, fuelling fears that the family’s shrine had been tampered with and used to cast an evil spell.
The allegations have left the Pamwa clan bitterly divided.
While some are demanding accountability for what they see as a violation of the shrine, others believe the contentious rituals were meant for both protection and healing.
Wilfred said shortly before her death, his sister claimed that a mysterious stone had been thrown into a home, which marked the beginning of a mysterious illness.
“She did not see where it landed, but felt pain inside her body,” he said.
The circumstances around her death prompted the family to consult traditional healers.
One of the traditional healers, Sekuru Shingirai Mukotsanjera, said two kilogrammes of soil had been taken from the family cemetery to South Africa.
“After she passed away, we became deeply concerned and consulted several healers because we felt there could have been hidden spiritual issues affecting the family.
“One healer told us that the person responsible for the suffering and deaths in the family was among our relatives,” said Wilfred.
“Mukotsanjera told us that urgent intervention was needed because two kilogrammes of soil was collected from our family graves and taken to South Africa. That is when our uncle Joseph admitted that such an incident had happened.”
Wilfred accused his aunts — Joseph’s sisters — of engaging in suspicious activities at the cemetery for years without informing other family members.
He further claimed that some relatives frequently visited the graves carrying containers of water, allegedly used during rituals.
“There have always been strange things happening at our cemetery. Our aunt once organised the erection of our father’s tombstone without consulting us. When we questioned her, she simply said . . . she had the right to do so.
“Our aunts would also come to the cemetery and spray water around the graves while performing rituals. That behaviour eventually made some family members uncomfortable and suspicious,” he said.
Mounting concerns over the activities ultimately led to a temporary closure of the family cemetery.
“The family eventually stopped any further erection of tombstones because of strange happenings there. Every time some relatives visited the cemetery, another death would occur in the family and people started connecting the dots. They also opened our father’s grave and later sent someone to collect the two kilogrammes of soil from the family graves.”
But family elder Joseph Pamwa insisted he had no intention of desecrating the family graves.
He, however, admitted that a traditional healer sent by his brother from South Africa had indeed visited the cemetery and collected soil from one of the graves.
“A traditional healer came from South Africa claiming he was a close friend of the deceased and wanted to pay his last respects.
‘‘I sent my son to escort him to the cemetery not knowing what he would do. He later took some soil from the grave and left with it. At that moment, I did not think there was anything sinister happening until my son told me that the healer had collected soil from the graves,” he said.
Another family member, Sylvia, accused senior family members of not including younger relatives in important family decisions.
“Our uncles and aunties no longer involve us in family matters. They make decisions privately and shove them down our throats. That is why there is now mistrust within the family,” she said.
She added that younger family members are becoming increasingly uncomfortable with what they view as unusual activities happening at the cemetery.
Chief Mutasa urged the family to unite and work towards restoring harmony.
He challenged Joseph to show strong leadership and work to avoid deepening divisions within the family.
“You are supposed to be guiding this family as the father figure. If you continue allowing confusion and divisions, this family will collapse because the younger generation will lose respect for family leadership,” said Chief Mutasa.
He also warned against sidelining younger relatives from important family matters.
“You must improve communication and involve each other in family decisions,” he said.
Chief Mutasa further advised the family to focus on rebuilding unity and completing unfinished busines.
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Man accuses wife of having an affair with son
A 71-year-old man broke down in court, claiming he was being denied intimacy by his wife Musa Sibanda (72), whom he alleged preferred to be with her son.
The elderly couple found themselves before the Western Commonage Court after Musa accused her husband of calling her a witch and a prostitute.
Never Sibanda (71), of Pumula North suburb, appeared before magistrate Jeconia Prince Ncube charged with breaching a protection order.
Sibanda asked the magistrate for permission to speak and told the court that his wife was a prostitute.
“From 2017 to December 2018, she was doing this,” said the teary elderly man.
He recounted one incident when he woke up and could not find his wife in bed.
As he went to relieve himself, he found the toilet door locked.
“I knocked and asked why the toilet door was locked. I waited and saw her son coming out, followed by my wife. They had locked themselves inside together. Her son is married and has his own family. My wife and I do not have children together,” he told the court. When Musa was called to the witness stand, she asked the court to impose a custodial sentence, saying her husband abused her and falsely accused her of sleeping with her son.
“I want him to be given a custodial sentence or grant us a separation order because I am tired of his behaviour,” she said.
Prosecutor Tafara Dzimbanhete told the court that on May 3, 2026, around 7pm, Never said to his wife “uri hure, uri muroyi”, which translates to “you are a prostitute and a witch”. He also accused her of sleeping with her son. Dzimbanhete said Never violated a protection order granted the previous year, which barred him from physically or verbally abusing his spouse.
Never was sentenced to four months in prison, which were wholly suspended for three years on condition that he does not commit a similar offence. — Bulawayo Bureau
