admin
Tendai Gukutikwa
Weekender Correspondent
TEN people were this week banished from the Saunyama area of Nyanga after seven Zimbabwe National Healers Association (Zinatha) registered traditional healers teamed up with their Nyanga-based colleagues to reveal the roles they played in murdering a Nyanga school librarian and harvesting his body parts for rituals.
About 300 angry villagers signed a petition asking for the ten’s banishment from Saunyama area.
Acting Chief Saunyama confirmed the development and said the banishment is for the ten’s own safety since the community is baying for their blood.
Agitated villagers went on a rampage and destroyed some of the suspects’ property that include two cars and three shops at Tendanayi, St Marys’ and Shiri Business Centres.
Those fingered in the 2018 ritual killing of Marist Nyanga High School librarian, John Gotora, include businessman Phillip Makunura; his wife, Catherine Makunura; their bar tender and village head, Kerina Katsatse; the deceased’s young brother, Morris Matimba; the deceased’s colleagues only identified as Benza and Nyamundanda; as well as Trymore Chibaya, Lucky Nyanguru, Milton Sadomba and Aaron Nyakapeta.
The Zinatha traditional healers; Sekuru Darare, Mbuya Machiri, Sekuru Mutizwa, Sekuru Nyereurombo, Sekuru Chandakabva, Mbuya Mapuranga and Mbuya Shumba; teamed up with two Nyanga traditional heal —Sekuru Chiro — to expose the suspects.
After the nine traditional healers’ findings, a villager who witnessed the group planning the murder confessed.
Franco Kariramwando said he was approached by the suspects with an offer to join them, but he spurned their offer.
“I tried to advise Gotora of the plot, but he did not listen to me as he was drunk. I cannot continue holding on to this secret. I came to this court and lied that I had actually dreamt about Gotora’s murderers.
“I, however, would like to confess today that these people called me and we went behind Makunura’s shop. They told me that they wanted to kill Gotora for ritual purposes and asked if I wanted to join them as there was a handsome reward. I refused because I thought they were just drunk.
“I warned Gotora and he told me that he trusted them. We later learnt that Gotora was missing and his remains were discovered two weeks later,” said Kariramwando.
Kariramwando also said ever since then, Gotora’s spirit has been tormenting him for keeping the secret.
In fact, Gotora’s spirit demanded four cattle from Kariramwando as appeasement for concealing the truth.
Said acting Chief Saunyama: “We have no place for murderers in the area. This matter has been dragging for years and some members of the community were accusing me of protecting them. I had to enlist the services of top traditional healers from Zinatha to assist us. They came here and conducted their rituals and all the suspects were named as the assailants. This area is now associated with ritual murders and we want to put a stop to this.
“The community at large is very angry with them and the destruction of their shops and vehicles is clear evidence that they are no longer welcome in the area. The move is both for the community and suspects’ safety. On four different occasions, these suspects were fingered as the people who murdered Gotora.
“They cannot continue rubbishing these claims. We were clear with them that they are now outcasts in the area and should find somewhere else to settle,” he said.
Acting Chief Saunyama also said Katsatse village head, Kerina Katsatse, has since been demoted from the post and was also banished.
On the destruction of property, acting Chief Saunyama said he does not condone violence and the mob only stopped after his intervention.
“We do not condone violence in this area and I have made this clear to the people. We advised Makunura to make police reports because his property was destroyed. People should not put the law into their own hands. Those found on the wrong side of the law should be answerable to their actions,” he said.
Contacted for comment, Manicaland provincial police spokesperson, Inspector Nobert Muzondo said the docket of Gotora’s murder case was closed some time ago due to lack of incriminating evidence.
“Police picked the same suspects when the murder happened and they were released after the recording of their warned and cautioned statements. There was no incriminating evidence linking the suspects to the commission of the crime. The post mortem report was inconclusive as the body was in a very advanced state of decomposition when it was found,” he said.
Inspector Muzondo appealed to the public to desist from meting instant justice on suspects and let the police do their job.
“We have not received malicious damage to property reports from the aggrieved parties yet, but we also appeal to traditional leaders to involve the police when there are cases in which spiritual manifestations are involved.
“The aggrieved can make a report of malicious damage to property at their nearest police station and also approach the civil courts to seek recourse if they feel that the traditional court’s judgement is not justifiable at law,” he said.
He also appealed to members of the public with tangible information pertaining to the murder of Gotora to make a report at their nearest police station.
Speaking through Sekai Nyamudika, the spirit begged the traditional healers to help him with more vengeance power.
“Leave them alone if they continue insisting that they did not kill me. I know what I will do. I will deal with them and eventually they will confess and appease me on their own free will. They killed me like a chicken and removed my body parts as if they wanted to eat them. The Makunuras used my parts to enhance their shops, but they are denying this,” said Gotora’s spirit.
The spirit accused Matimba of informing the killers of his movements and his colleagues, Benza and Nyamundanda, of not telling the police the truth that they had boarded the same vehicle with him on the fateful day.
Nyanguru was accused of killing Gotora, taking his body parts and giving them to the Makunuras for rituals to enhance their businesses.
However, all of the accused persons have refuted the allegations.
The librarian was brutally murdered and some of his body parts, including his private parts, were mutilated in a gory incident linked to ritualism in 2018.
His body was later found a week later at St Mary’s Cemetery in Nyanga.
Online Reporter