A Nyanga man, Mr. Innocent Ndaruza (29), has expressed fear for his pregnant wife’s well-being as baboons reportedly visit their home, demanding payment for a debt he owes to a local traditional healer, Sekuru Chihwa. According to Mr. Ndaruza, Sekuru Chihwa had assisted his wife in conceiving their child.
In addition to the baboon visits, Mr. Ndaruza explained that he and his wife hear voices singing and demanding payment while they sleep. However, upon investigating the source of the voices, they find no one present, yet the demands persist.
Mr. Ndaruza shared that his wife had faced difficulties conceiving for several years until they sought the services of Sekuru Chihwa. Following their consultation, his wife successfully became pregnant. Interestingly, Mr. Ndaruza’s father fell ill as soon as his wife conceived, confirming a prediction made by Sekuru Chihwa that the person causing their problems would fall ill upon his wife’s pregnancy.
For his services, Sekuru Chihwa charged Mr. Ndaruza a fee of US$150, payable over two months. However, due to losing his job a month after the consultation, Mr. Ndaruza was unable to fulfill the payment within the agreed time-frame. Despite later raising the money and attempting to reason with Sekuru Chihwa, the traditional healer refused to accept the payment, citing the expiration of the agreed-upon time-frame.
As foretold by Sekuru Chihwa, baboons now regularly visit Mr. Ndaruza’s homestead, sometimes appearing individually and other times as a whole troop. These unusual visitors sit in the yard and demand the money owed to Sekuru Chihwa. Moreover, the voices demanding payment can be heard both during the day and at night.
Concerned for his wife’s safety and the well-being of their unborn child, Mr. Ndaruza fears that Sekuru Chihwa may take drastic measures, potentially causing his wife to suffer a miscarriage. The baboons and voices claim they will reclaim what belongs to them, referring to the pregnancy.
Mr. Ndaruza’s neighbor and uncle, Mr. Jack Ndaruza, corroborated the baboon visits, describing the situation as both extraordinary and unsettling.
In response to the allegations, Sekuru Chihwa denied sending the baboons or being involved in the mysterious occurrences at the Ndaruza homestead. However, he attributed the events to his ancestral spirits, stating that they seek to collect the debt owed by Mr. Ndaruza.
Sekuru Chihwa clarified that he had not charged consultation fees during Mr. Ndaruza’s visit and expressed forgiveness for the debt. He pledged to intercede with his ancestors on Mr. Ndaruza’s behalf, requesting their approval to accept the original sum of US$150 without interest. However, he emphasized that the payment must be made before the end of September.
“I am only being used by my ancestral spirits. They are the ones who helped his wife to conceive. They performed a go back to sender to the person who was behind the family’s barreness.
“It is true that this man approached me and we helped him. I told him to pay in two months, but he failed. He came back five months later with the money. Maybe he doubted my powers.
“I never asked him to pay consultation fees when he visited me for my services. I felt his pain, but he later reneged on his promise to settle what I charged him for the services,” said Sekuru Chihwa.
Sekuru Chihwa concluded by reiterating that their purpose as traditional healers is to assist people rather than intimidate or threaten them. He emphasized the importance of honouring agreements to avoid such unsettling circumstances.
“Since you have called me, I have forgiven him. I will intercede to my ancestors on his behalf so that they can give me the nod to accept his money. I will take the US$150 which I had charged him and we forget about the interest.
“I am doing this because you have approached me on his behalf, otherwise my ancestors were really angry with him for failing to honour our agreement. If you are still in touch with him, tell him that the money should be paid before the end of September. If he fails to do so, then it will be a lost cause,” he said.
Sekuru Chihwa added: “We are there to help people, and not scare or threaten them like what appears to be the case here. People should just honour their undertakings so that nothing of this sort happens.”
