Chronicle Editor
Sunday News Reporter
PROPHETS and tsikamutandas have been blamed for child pregnancies that have resulted in girls dropping out of school in Bubi District of Matabeleland North Province and also impoverishing villagers by demanding livestock such as cattle and goats for performing exorcism rituals.
It is believed that one prophet has impregnated more than 15 girls in a single village in the district.
Speaking in an interview, Bubi Rural District Council chief executive officer Dr Partson Mlilo said it was worrying that prophets and tsikamutandas were abusing the girl child, saying he was shocked that one prophet is alleged to have impregnated more than 15 girls in a single village while communities in the district which was faced with a drought were also losing livestock as payment for services rendered.
“We are a vulnerable district in terms of drought. The Government is, however, doing all it can to assist the villagers. The district has started receiving food and it is so encouraging that President Mnangagwa is walking his talk when he said he is going to ensure that no one is going to die of hunger,” said Dr Mlilo.
He, however, expressed concern over increased school drop-outs in the district after girls fell pregnant and pointed to religious beliefs which lead communities to consult prophets and tsikamutandas who not only fleece them of their livestock but also impregnate the locals.
“We have a challenge in the district of girls dropping out of school after falling pregnant. You find girls as young as 13 falling pregnant and parents not doing anything about it. They do not report most of these incidents to the police but if you go to organisations that deal with girl children you will be shocked.
“Most of them would have been impregnated by prophets and tsikamutandas that would have been called by the parents to exorcise homes of evil spirits. They then end up sleeping with the children and leave them pregnant. The problem is that a lot of these prophets and tsikamutandas are of no fixed abode and they are very difficult to trace,” said Dr Mlilo.
He said the communities were also losing their livestock after assumed exorcisms which was further exacerbating their poverty especially that the district was faced with food shortages.
“One would think that the communities would want to keep their livestock and use them to ensure food security but they are giving them out to tsikamutandas where they are sold for a song. There is nothing we can do because it’s an issue of beliefs but villagers are left impoverished,” said Dr Mlilo.
He said the other challenge was that the district was a mining one with a number of gold panners from other parts of the country posing another challenge to the girl child.
“We have a challenge with gold panners again who prey on these young girls. We are calling on parents to report such cases to the police instead of simply leaving it like that. They are forced to look after grandchildren from abused under-age girls while the perpetrators walk scot free and continue abusing others. It’s so sad,” said Dr Mlilo.
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