Jerera woman mysteriously turns white

By Rest Mutore

A Jerera woman mysteriously turned white for reportedly eating human flesh, it has been claimed.

It is said the woman, Epiphania Mabwinye’s skin started turning white five months ago while she was staying at her husband’s in Chipinge.

While her mental condition could not be ascertained, she confessed to practicing witchcraft as well as possessing evil spirits that were terrorising fellow villagers.

The turning of her skin to white was linked to eating human flesh by a number of prophets from Johane Masowe eChishanu who were gathered at Jerera Growth point where they were praying for the area.

Scientifically, there is Vitiligo which is a skin condition of white patches resulting from loss of pigment. Any part of the body may be affected.

Experts say usually both sides of the body are similarly affected by a few too many milky-white patches.

Common areas of involvement are the face, lips, hands, arms, legs and genital area.

Also according to experts, Vitiligo affects one or two of every 100 people.

About half the people who develop it do so before the age of 20; about one fifth have a family member with this condition.

Most people with vitiligo are in good general health.

Mabwinye, who is believed to be in her 60’s, said she had become an outcast with her own children shunning her after her skin turned white.

She said her husband had taken her to her parents’ place accusing her of causing misfortune within the family.

She said she got the witchdoctor powers from a witchdoctor out of ignorance.

“I approached a witchdoctor in Chipinge after I encountered some problems asi handina kuziva kuti ndaipihwa mushonga wakadaro,” she said.

Though she confirmed that her skin turned because of witchcraft, she said it was because she failed to follow the instructions she had been given.

“The sangoma gave me some traditional medicine and some instructions that I should bath with it every morning, so nekukura ndakanganwa and my skin started turning white. That is when my husband took me to my parents’ place,” she said.

The prophet indicated that the woman has her aunt (Mabwinye) whose skin turned white due to unknown reasons, which she confirmed.

They (prophets) then narrated to her the causes and why she was chased from her husband’s place.

The prophets included Lawrence Katsiru, Moses Gwasarira, Trust Ebba, Sydney Mhaka, Tonderai Wadyehwata and Tichaona Mapeto.

Mabwinye’s place at Fuve Township is about 25 km from Jerera Growth point.

She admitted to practicing witchcraft and revealed some of the materials she was using though she could not open up much. She had to take her ‘tools’ to the shrine where they were burnt for her to be cleansed.

Thousands of parishioners who were gathered at this worshipping place were left stunned as the woman walked through to surrender her traditional medicine.

Mabwinye’s nephew, Lawrence, confirmed that his aunt was normal five months ago.

“She was a normal person five months ago and we were surprised after she came back home with white skin,” he said. H Metro