adminSukulwenkosi Dube Plumtree Correspondent
VILLAGERS from Bulilima District paraded a nude 38-year-old woman they accused of being a witch after they caught her and her 10-year-old son naked at a neighbour’s homestead.The villagers from Mboma area in Vulindlela Ward found Funiwe Ndlovu and her son seated in front of a bedroom hut belonging to an elderly woman in the village at around 6PM on Tuesday.
The owner of the homestead was away and her son who was alone at home reportedly found the woman and alerted village elders, who left the pair to spend the night at the homestead.
There was commotion the following morning as villagers abandoned field work to catch a glimpse of the “witch.”
They took the nude Ndlovu around the neighbourhood and ordered her to tell other villagers what she had done.
They then alerted the police who came to collect her for questioning.
She was later referred to Plumtree District Hospital for psychiatric evaluation.
The Chronicle news crew yesterday caught up with Ndlovu at the hospital and she poured her heart out on events surrounding her strange behaviour.
She said a voice that she could not resist ordered her to go to her neighbour’s homestead.
She said she blacked out and the next thing she remembers is people gathered around her calling her a witch.
“I was shocked to find myself at my neighbour’s homestead while naked. I recall hearing a voice on Tuesday evening which was calling me and telling me where to go together with my son. I was not doing what I did out of my free will,” said Ndlovu.
She said along the way the voice faded and she could not hear it. Ndlovu said she can’t recall the events that followed on that night but she recalls waking up the following morning at her neighbour’s homestead.
Ndlovu said she was naked and so was her son who is in Grade 4 and a crowd was guarding them.
She said her neighbours started questioning her and ordered her to move around telling people what she had done.
She said she was picked up by the police who questioned her and later referred her to Plumtree District Hospital.
A source at the hospital said they were still monitoring Ndlovu in order to ascertain her mental state.
Ndlovu who appeared to be sober said she stayed in Village 4 in Mboma area under village head Rafi Nkala.
She said she was staying at her sister’s homestead.
Ndlovu said she was looking after her sister’s children as her sister was staying in Botswana.
She said she had two children of her own, one stayed with her and the other was at her parents’ homestead.
The area’s councillor Francis Tshuma said Ndlovu’s actions had caused a stir within the community as people were questioning her motive.
He said Ndlovu did not appear to have a mental problem but she had been seen doing several weird things at her homestead such as moving around while naked together with her son.
Online Reporter