Injiva beat up mourners in Bulilima

By Sukulwenkosi Dube

THEY are back!

Mourners gathered at a funeral wake in Bulilima District ran for dear life when two brothers based in South Africa commonly known as injiva ran amok and beat up their uncle for burying their father in their absence.

Ephraim Tshuma and Alfred Tshuma also turned on the mourners gathered at their homestead in Chief Gampu area on Wednesday, accusing them of practising witchcraft.

Witnesses said the injivas’ uncle, Adam Tshuma, sustained a deep cut on the head after being set upon by his nephews.

They attacked him with a knobkerrie and an axe.

“Ephraim hit his uncle with a knobkerrie on his forehead and Alfred struck him with an axe handle on his back,” a witness said.

He added: “They also assaulted several other family members who tried to calm them down. They accused mourners who were gathered at the funeral of killing their father and burying him in their absence in a bid to conceal their witchcraft”.

Adam was treated at Ntoli Clinic where his wound was sutured before he was discharged.

The witness said the late Tshuma died on Monday after a long illness and the brothers were informed.

After waiting for two days, the family decided to hold the burial on Wednesday in the absence of the two brothers after realising that the deceased’s body was starting to decompose.

“The late Tshuma had been ill for a long time and his children abandoned him and left him in the care of his elder brother. He died on Monday and his children ordered relatives not to bury their father but to wait for them as they were on their way.

“The family later made a resolution to conduct the burial on Wednesday evening after two days of waiting as the body was starting to decompose, a move which angered the Tshuma brothers,” said the witness.

He said the two brothers arrived after the burial and found mourners still gathered at the homestead.

“When Ephraim and Alfred learnt that their father had been buried, they attacked their uncle.

“They also assaulted several other family members who tried to calm them down,” said the witness.

He said the marauding brothers then ordered all the mourners to leave.

The councillor for the area, Bornface Phiri, said mourners had to abandon the funeral after the incident.

“The actions of the two are a sign of disrespect for their late father. They ordered all the mourners to leave the homestead and villagers had to abandon the funeral.

“Their uncle was seriously injured on the forehead and we had to rush him to Ntoli where he was treated and his wound was stitched up. The two brothers later fled from the village as they could not be located soon after the incident,” said Clr Phiri.

The officer commanding Bulilima Mangwe District, Chief Superintendent Patrick Majuta confirmed the incident and said Ephraim and Alfred were on the run.

Injivas usually cause havoc when they return home for the festive season. The Chronicle