‘Sister killed my child’

Tendai Gukutikwa
Weekender Reporter
A WOMAN from Mutasa, Petronella Muputsa, has taken her family dispute to the community court in a bid to clear her name after being accused of causing her nephew’s death through sorcery.
The allegations were made by her brother, Mackenzie Muputsa, and his wife following the death of their young son in Harare on January 22.
Petronella, visibly emotional, told the court she was devastated by the accusations, which she firmly denies.
She said the claims had torn the family apart and left her seeking vindication.
“My brother’s child died in Harare on January 22, and I was labelled a witch. Mackenzie is the one who branded me through his actions. I am here because I want these allegations cleared. I have done nothing wrong,” she said, fighting back tears.
Petronella further explained that she was never informed about the child’s illness or hospitalisation.
“The boy was bedridden and in the Intensive Care Unit, but I was kept in the dark. I only heard about it through relatives in Mozambique, who asked why I had not told them. I was shocked because I did not even know he was hospitalised,” she said.
She added that she had spoken to her brother shortly before the child’s death, yet he never mentioned the boy’s condition.

“I had called Mackenzie the previous day because I wanted fertiliser. He sent me US$20. He never told me that his child was critically ill. The only thing he complained about was that he was struggling financially because of school fees,” she said, adding that when she later heard rumours about the child’s illness, she tried to reach her brother repeatedly.
“I called him countless times, but he would not answer. Eventually, when he picked up, we spoke about other issues, thinking that he would inform me of the child’s illness. I could not ask him about something I had not officially been told,” she said, alleging that she later learnt that accusations were being made behind her back.
“I was told that he had told our other brother that I was the one causing the child’s illness. He claimed that his wife’s niece had revealed it while under a trance during prayers,” said Petronella.
The court heard that the alleged revelation occurred during a prayer session at the hospital where the child was admitted. However, Mackenzie dismissed claims that he had accused his sister of witchcraft.
“I never accused her of anything. In fact, she is the one accusing my wife of witchcraft and of killing our son,” said Mackenzie, maintaining that his family was grieving and had not formally blamed anyone for the tragedy.
“Accusations are flying all over and emotions are high, but I did not call her a witch,” he said.
The woman alleged to have gone into a trance during the prayer session, Tinotenda Chikukwa, who is a niece to Mackenzie’s wife, also denied pointing fingers at Petronella.
“We were at the hospital visiting when church members started praying. During the prayers, I went into a trance. I honestly do not know what I was saying at that time,” said Chikukwa.
She told the court that she later watched videos recorded during the prayer session.
“I was shown the videos afterwards, and I never mentioned Petronella’s name. I did not accuse her of anything,” she said.
Chikukwa emphasised that she could not be held responsible for words uttered while she was not in control of herself.
“I cannot explain what happens when I go into a trance. But from what I saw in the video, I did not point an accusing finger at anyone,” she said.
Petronella insisted that despite the denials, the damage to her reputation was irreparable.
“People are whispering. They look at me differently. I am being treated like someone who killed her own brother’s child. I loved that child. Why would I harm him?” she said.
She told Chief Mutasa that the accusations had caused deep divisions within the family.
“This is my own brother. Instead of mourning together, we are now fighting over witchcraft allegations,” she said.
Chief Mutasa urged the family to exercise caution when dealing with sensitive issues surrounding death and spiritual claims.
“When a child dies, emotions run high, but we must be careful not to destroy families with unfounded accusations,” he said, warning against relying on statements allegedly made during trances as evidence against someone.
“Words spoken in a trance cannot simply be used to condemn a person. If there is no proof, then we must not point accusing fingers,” he said, encouraging the family to reconcile and to focus on healing.
“A death in the family should unite, not divide you. If there is no clear evidence, let us not brand each other witches,” he said, and ordered the family to consult healers to ascertain whether Petronella was a witch or not, to clear her name.
“If she is the witch, we will fine her, but if she is not, her name needs to be cleared,” he said.
The matter was adjourned to another day to allow for the spiritual consultations.