Moffat Mungazi
Tendai Gukutikwa
Weekender Reporter
A NYANGA man has levelled serious allegations against his sister’s father-in-law, accusing him of marrying her off to an avenging spirit without the family’s knowledge or consent.
The sensational case was recently heard at Chief Mutasa’s community court, where shocking revelations and counter-accusations emerged.
Andrew Chingope had dragged Charles Timburwa to court, claiming that his sister’s spiritual torment began shortly after her marriage into the Timburwa family.
According to Chingope, his sister returned home in a distraught state, alleging that she was being tormented by a mysterious female voice. The voice allegedly urged her to engage in erratic and disturbing behaviour, including undressing in public.
“I implore them to lift whatever curse they have cast upon my daughter. She was married to a member of the Timburwa family, but soon after the union, a wicked spirit began to manifest, causing her to behave erratically, including public indecency. She returned home, distraught, and confided in us that a spirit was tormenting her. She claimed to hear a woman’s voice whispering in her ears, instructing her to perform tasks that made her deeply uncomfortable.
The voice allegedly told her that she was dead, and that she no longer wished to be married to her husband, as the torments only occurred when she was at her marital home,” he explained.
He stated that his family was taken aback when Timburwa approached him a few weeks after his sister had left the Timburwa homestead, saying he wanted to make amends for consulting traditional healers without their permission.
“I queried why they had sought the services of traditional healers for my sister without informing us, and they alleged that a member of their family had married her off to an avenging spirit,” he said.
“I seek clarification on this matter through this court, as Timburwa’s statements have been inconsistent, sometimes denying and other times confessing to this claim.
“I demand that the Timburwa family lift whatever curse they have placed upon my sister.”
However, Timburwa vehemently denied the allegations, dismissing claims that his family had married off their daughter-in-law to a wicked spirit that was tormenting their family.
Timburwa informed the court that his visit to the Chingope family was solely to retrieve his daughter-in-law, who had abandoned her marital home.
“My daughter-in-law had left her home due to crippling debts amounting to US$9 000, which she was unable to settle. With debt collectors threatening to seize her furniture and livestock, and feeling ashamed to face her husband, she packed her belongings and sought refuge at her brother’s homestead.
“She was even contemplating committing suicide due to the overwhelming debt, which had stripped her of her autonomy at home. I only intervened at the request of my son, who sought my assistance in retrieving his wife,” said Timburwa.
However, proceedings took a dramatic turn when an unidentified female member of the Chingope family suddenly erupted into a frenzy of screams and wails from the gallery, appearing to be in a trance-like state.
She rushed towards Timburwa, who was standing at the front of the court, and physically assaulted him, while shouting: “Tell the truth! Do not lie, lest you and your family perish! Tell the truth.”
The woman had to be forcibly restrained and removed from the courtroom, as the alleged avenging spirit’s violent outburst disrupted the proceedings. However, this incident seemed to have a profound effect on Timburwa, who subsequently confessed that his daughter-in-law had indeed been exhibiting signs of being possessed by an angry avenging spirit.
“Yes, a spirit manifested itself in her on countless occasions, claiming to be that of a person killed by our grandmother, Maud Mabvudza. We still don’t know how the avenging spirit came to possess her instead of one of our family members. I approached her other brother, not Andrew, and he asked me to appease the spirit with a beast, which I did. I am shocked to be summoned to court today, especially since Andrew was never informed that I had already appeased his family,” he said.
Chief Mutasa adjourned the matter to a later date, allowing time for Chingope’s sister and her other brother to be summoned.
