Online Reporter
Tendai Gukutikwa
Weekender Reporter
A LONG-RUNNING family feud in Chimanimani escalated last Sunday after a prophetic healer ruled that a man accused of bewitching his half sister was responsible for her prolonged illness — a verdict the suspect angrily rejected before the community court.
Elisha Mutoriyondo appeared before Chief Saurombe’s community court to answer allegations by his half sister, Chipo Chandakabarirwa, who has for years maintained that he bewitched her in order to pressure her husband into paying outstanding bride price.
The dispute, previously heard by the court, has divided the family and drawn in traditional leaders, healers, and now a prophetess whose ruling has further inflamed tensions.
Mutoriyondo dismissed the allegations as baseless, insisting he was shocked to be labelled a wizard when he had only shown concern for his sister’s health.
“She told me several times that she was not feeling well, and I asked her to come home so that we could consult healers together as a family. I do not understand why she has reported this matter here as if I refused to help her,” he said.
He also denied claims that he ever carried or used an okapi knife, which Chandakabarirwa alleged he wielded during rituals at her home.
“I never walk around with an okapi knife. Yes, I visited her because she is my sister, but I never imagined I would one day be accused of wizardry. Maybe I should not have visited her at all,” said Mutoriyondo.
The allegations date back to 2017, when Chandakabarirwa claimed her health deteriorated after Mutoriyondo visited her while she was pregnant with her fourth child.
At the time, her husband, Jeremiah Murambwi, had not paid bride price.
“He looked at my pregnancy, opened his mouth in shock, and said nothing. Later, he came to my house holding an okapi knife and closed it as if performing rituals. My children saw it. After he left, I became sick,” Chandakabarirwa testified.
She told the court she has since endured persistent pain, describing sensations of movement in her stomach and sharp pain in her leg “as if cut with a knife.” She said her condition has defied medical explanation and left her unable to work or care for her children.
Chandakabarirwa alleged that Mutoriyondo stood to benefit once bride price was paid, as he had assumed a fatherly role after their father’s death and therefore had motive to pressure her husband through supernatural means.
In an effort to resolve the matter, Chief Saurombe ordered both siblings to consult a prophetic healer.
The prophetess later concluded that Mutoriyondo was responsible for Chandakabarirwa’s illness — a finding that provoked an emotional outburst from him.
“If it is true that I bewitched her, let the prophetess put that sickness on me. I am not afraid. I know I did nothing wrong,” Mutoriyondo declared, insisting he had sought joint consultations to clear his name.
In a new twist, Mutoriyondo argued that the family’s misfortunes stemmed, not from him, but from their late father, whom he alleged had practised rituals during his lifetime.
“I am not a wizard. Our father was a ritualist, and we all know it. If there are spirits troubling this family, they come from him, not me. I should not be punished for things I did not do,” he said.
Chief Saurombe urged the siblings to stop trading accusations and instead pursue healing through the prophetess.
“You are brother and sister, and this fight is tearing your family apart. The prophetess you consulted has said she can help you. Instead of challenging each other and bringing more bitterness, you must both go and seek that help together,” he said.
He warned Mutoriyondo against defying the court’s efforts to resolve the matter.
