Online Reporter
Tendai Gukutikwa
Weekender Reporter
A MUTASA man who previously caused a stir at Chief Mutasa’s community court by questioning the spiritual paternity of his three children has made a dramatic U-turn, telling the traditional court that he is now convinced the children are his after consulting traditional healers.
Timothy Timburwa, who last year claimed that his children could spiritually belong to an alleged avenging spirit linked to his former wife’s family, appeared before Chief Mutasa’s court last Saturday to announce that his doubts had been resolved.
Timburwa said consultations with traditional healers, conducted following the court’s recommendation, had convinced him that all three children belong to him.
“I am now sure that these are my children. They all belong to me. I no longer have any doubts about whether they belong to me spiritually or whether they belong to the avenging spirit that I had been told about.
“I followed the instructions given by this court and consulted traditional healers. After the consultations and rituals that were performed, I was informed that the three children are mine,” he said.
Timburwa said the consultations, not only settled the dispute, but also coincided with an improvement in the health of his children, who he claimed had been suffering from mysterious ailments.
“One of my children had blurred vision, while another suffered epileptic episodes. My children are now well and the illnesses that were troubling them have stopped. This has given me peace of mind.
“Before, I was troubled and confused. I did not know what was happening to my children and I was hearing different explanations. That is why I came before this court seeking answers. But after following the recommended process, I can now say with certainty that these are my children,” he said.
While declaring the matter settled, Timburwa sought compensation from his former wife’s brothers, arguing that he had spent significant amounts of money pursuing what he believed to be the truth and seeking remedies for the children’s conditions.
He told the court that he spent US$1 050 on transport, consultations with traditional healers and the performance of rituals.
“I feel that my ex-wife’s brothers should reimburse me for the money I spent travelling in pursuit of the truth and carrying out the rituals that helped resolve the matter and restore my children’s health. I tried to engage them, but they were not cooperative,” he said.
Timburwa argued that the burden of resolving the dispute should not have fallen entirely on him, as the matter involved concerns he associated with his former wife’s family background.
However, Chief Mutasa stopped short of ordering any repayment.
Instead, he instructed Timburwa to provide a detailed breakdown of the expenses he incurred and to justify the amount he is claiming.
The latest development brings closure to a highly unusual case that first came before the community court last year.
At the time, Timburwa insisted that he was the biological father of the three children, but questioned what he described as their “spiritual DNA”.
He claimed that traditional healers had linked his former wife’s family to an avenging spirit and suggested that, under certain traditional beliefs, children born to a woman associated with such circumstances could spiritually belong to the spirit rather than their biological father.
The alleged spiritual concern was, according to Timburwa, reflected in the recurring health problems experienced by the children.
His former wife’s family dismissed the allegations, arguing that the dispute stemmed from longstanding marital problems and accusations of infidelity rather than any spiritual issue.
Former brother-in-law Gift Mawacha rejected claims that an avenging spirit was involved and challenged Timburwa’s assertions.
When the matter was first heard, Chief Mutasa offered Timburwa the option of DNA testing to establish paternity. However, he maintained that he had no doubts about being the biological father, insisting that his concerns were purely spiritual.
The court subsequently directed the families to seek guidance from traditional healers in line with their cultural beliefs.
Nearly a year later, Timburwa has returned to the same court declaring the matter resolved, affirming that the children are his and expressing relief that the family can finally move on.
