Online Reporter
Lovemore Kadzura
Weekender Reporter
A MAKONI villager sparked a storm of controversy after accusing his brother of possessing snakes and allegedly using them to threaten and intimidate him.
The sensational allegations were made by Benjamin Munyoro against his brother, Raymond Rapanganwa, during proceedings before Chief Makoni’s community court.
Munyoro claimed that Rapanganwa kept snakes, and had allegedly sent them to cause him harm.
He said his efforts to resolve the matter through village leadership had proved fruitless after the village head reportedly declined to intervene.
“One evening, while I was inside my house, I saw a snake peeping through the window. I grabbed a log intending to strike it, but it suddenly disappeared. Moments later, I heard it hissing on the roof,” said Munyoro.
He said the strange encounters continued.
“Some days later, while herding cattle, I came across a huge snake lying on the road. As I moved closer, it slipped away without trace,” he said.
Munyoro further alleged that he later saw his brother carrying a live snake in broad daylight.
“After some time, I saw Rapanganwa walking while holding a live snake. He was carrying it by the tail, with its head facing forward as if it wanted to strike. I immediately recognised it as the same snake I had previously encountered. He did not notice me because he was focused on the snake. I later informed other villagers about what I had seen,” he said.
Munyoro said the matter strained relations between the two brothers.
“Rapanganwa confronted me after learning that I had spoken about the incident. I advised him to report the issue to the village head and community elders. When I later informed the village head, he told me that Rapanganwa had not approached him about the matter.
“While I was herding cattle, Rapanganwa warned me to stop talking about his snakes. He told me that I was not clean either and claimed that the snake actually belonged to me,” said Munyoro.
However, Rapanganwa dismissed the allegations, vehemently denying that he kept snakes or had ever used them to harm his brother.
Faced with the conflicting claims, Chief Makoni referred both men to his resident traditional healer for further assessment.
In a dramatic twist, the traditional healer reportedly concluded that it was Munyoro, and not Rapanganwa, who allegedly had snakes at his homestead.
The healer further alleged that Munyoro was involved in clandestine activities with some villagers.
Following the findings, Chief Makoni ordered that a cleansing ceremony be conducted at Munyoro’s homestead.
