Moffat Mungazi
Tendai Gukutikwa
Weekender Reporter
TWO elderly neighbours in Nyanga recently took their longstanding feud to Chief Saunyama’s community court, with accusations of witchcraft, insults, and property destruction driving a wedge between them.
Dorosiya Mandigora (82) and Rudo Magombe (73) appeared before Chief Saunyama’s court recently.
Magombe, who brought the matter before the court, accused her neighbour, Mandigora of calling her a witch, and blaming her for the death of her daughter.
The animosity reportedly began when Magombe’s grandchildren drove his cattle through Mandigora’s field, sparking anger and insults.
“Mandigora insulted my grandchildren and called me a witch. She went further to remove my irrigation pipes which were passing through her field. She only targeted my pipes, leaving the rest of the villagers’ pipes untouched,” said Magombe.
Magombe attempted to resolve the issue peacefully by rerouting her irrigation pipes through a different area.
However, her efforts were in vain as Mandigora removed them again.
“She further removed my pipes. I approached our village head and requested for a meeting to resolve the issue, but Mandigora refused to attend. She claimed her daughter was ill, and that a prophet had warned her not to attend the meeting as her daughter would die as a result of her attendance,” Magombe told the court.
When Mandigora’s daughter eventually passed away, the situation took a nasty turn.
“She accused me of witchcraft, saying I was behind her daughter’s death. She claimed prophets told her that, and that my approaching the village head for redress caused her daughter’s death. She now insults me at every opportunity, calling me satan, and making me a laughing stock in the village,” said Magombe.
She also revealed that Mandigora had placed red pieces of cloth on trees in her yard.
“She tied red cloths on trees along the path that we use in my yard. I inquired from her the reasons behind her actions, and she said the cloths were meant to protect her from witches like me. She warned me against using that path as undesired consequences will befall me. As a result, I have stopped my family and livestock from using that path because I realised that she does not like me, and if she had the power, she would kill me,” said the elderly woman.
Mandigora did not deny the allegations levelled against her as well as her distaste for Magombe.
She confirmed that she refused to engage in talks with Magombe and the village head, citing warnings from her church.
“I was told by a prophet at my church that if I agreed to sit down with them, I would die. That is why I refused. Since they failed to kill me, unfortunately, my daughter ended up being the victim. I do not want to see Magombe anywhere near me. She is bitter that I removed her pipes from my land and stopped her family from using the path in my yard. The land is mine, and I will do as I please with it. No one can tell me otherwise,” said Mandigora.
The court session attracted a number of neighbours who were fighting in Magombe’s corner.
They called for a lasting solution to the feud. Chief Saunyama ordered that Magombe’s irrigation pipes should be returned to their original position on Mandigora’s land along with those of the rest of the village.
“You will face a heavy fine if you continue behaving as if the land is solely yours. Live peacefully with others and stop isolating yourself. The fact that the entire village is siding with Magombe shows that you are a bad neighbour. You should change your behaviour, be a good neighbour,” said Chief Saunyama sternly to Mandigora.
Mandigora, however, left the court visibly agitated, muttering under her breath as she walked away.
“She can put the pipes back, but I do not promise that I will leave them there. My daughter is the one who is dead and not hers. I do not want to have anything to do with her,” said the elderly woman, while attracting jeers from the court gallery.
