GOKWE – In a suspected act of witchcraft, a Gokwe man was found in possession of 13 women’s panties and a black mamba during a cleansing ceremony after 13 women from Mubvumbi village under Chief Njelele in Gokwe woke up without their undergarments.
Chief Njelele confirmed the incident which occurred two weeks ago, saying the culprit, Saviors Nyenyezwa, of the same village would soon be arraigned before the traditional court for being found in possession of a snake, the panties and other things associated with witchcraft.
“I can confirm that a man from one of my villages was found in possession of women’s panties and a snake following a cleansing ceremony which was conducted in the village after 13 women woke up without their undergarments,” he said.
Mubvumbi village head, Mr Simon Mubvumbi, also confirmed the incident, saying the 13 women woke up without panties early this year and approached him for assistance.
Mr Mubvumbi said the villagers hired a tsikamutanda to conduct a cleansing ceremony to help them apprehend the culprit as well as try and unravel other mysterious happenings in the village.
He said it was during the cleansing ceremony that Nyenyezwa was implicated by the tsikamutanda.
“There was panic in the village after 13 women woke up without their panties. The women then approached me so that we could find the culprit. I approached Chief Njelele who gave us the green light to invite a tsikamutanda to conduct a cleansing ceremony in the village during which Nyenyezwa was fingered as the culprit.
“When the tsikamutanda searched his house he found the 13 missing panties which were all positively identified by women in the village,” he said.
Mr Mubvumbi said Nyenyezwa went on to confess that he had been given magical powers of luck by an inyanga whom he had approached after losing property to fellow villagers through gambling.
“Nyenyezwa confessed that he was given magical powers for luck by an inyanga and women’s panties were part of the prescription for the muti to work. He said everything went wrong when he skipped some steps in applying the muti and some of the herbs turned into a snake,” he said. Sunday News