Seke, Zimbabwe – In a bizarre incident straight out of a Shona folktale, a 24-year-old man from Sabhuku Manhanhanha village in Mabhauwa, Seke, is claiming a late-night encounter with a ghost that led to a harrowing 20-kilometre trek home. Vusa Matoto now lives in fear, haunted by the memory of his spectral companion.
Matoto says the otherworldly experience began after a journey from his mother’s village in Murehwa. He boarded a kombi bound for Marondera, intending to continue his journey to Seke.
It was at this Dombotombo bar that Matoto’s evening took a decidedly strange turn. He describes being approached by a man with a scarred face.
“This man, who did not give his name, said he was from Murehwa and lived in Seke on a farm,” Matoto explained. “He said he knew me and mentioned things about my home, such as the fact that we used to have grinding mills.”
With kombis to Seke no longer running, Matoto considered spending the night at the bar. However, his new acquaintance had other plans. “The man then told me around 12 midnight that we should go to the road where he said there were vehicles that went near my home in Seke,” he said.
Upon reaching the Harare-Marondera road and finding no transport, the man suggested they walk the considerable distance to Seke. Matoto claims he inexplicably agreed.
“My mind went blank, and I just agreed to everything the man said, claiming that it was possible to walk,” Matoto explained. “He led the way and told me to run, with him in front and me following. We ran, and he then said we should use a path through the bush until I got tired and started dragging my feet.”
The mysterious man insisted they reach Seke by 5 am, constantly checking the time.
“The man would wait for me or even come back for me if he saw that I was tired and lagging behind in the bush or too far behind,” Matoto said. “What bothered me was how he knew where to go since there were no paths in the bush we were walking through. Around 3 am, he told me to run faster, but I was exhausted.”
As they approached the road to Chitungwiza, the man announced he wanted to show Matoto his house.
“Around 5 am, we reached a field that looked like it had been ploughed by a tractor, where he started running even faster ahead of me,” Matoto said. “I was in a lot of pain at this point; I had taken off my shoes, and my feet were swollen. As soon as we finished crossing the field, we went through some tall grass near a small anthill, and the man suddenly disappeared.”
It was at this point that the chilling reality dawned on Matoto. His companion had vanished without a trace.
The ordeal left Matoto physically and emotionally drained.
“I started feeling hot all over my body and then called my wife again, telling her to bring me water to drink when she came,” he said.
His wife, Tilda Kutadzaushe (24), along with her sister, rushed to his aid.
“My wife and my sister-in-law came to meet me and found that I could no longer walk,” Matoto explained. “They took turns supporting me, and my wife carried me when crossing our local river.”
Upon finally reaching home, Matoto’s physical condition deteriorated further.
“My legs swelled up like balloons, and I had stomach pains and diarrhoea from that time until midday,” he said, clearly still shaken by the experience. “I was seeing stars. I need help because of what I went through; imagine spending 5 hours with a ghost; it’s difficult.”
Tilda Kutadzaushe confirmed her husband’s distress. “My husband was sick for three days after encountering this ghost,” she said, adding that she treated him with traditional remedies.
The incident has prompted varied interpretations. Gogo Shumba, a traditional healer from Harare, believes Matoto encountered a vengeful spirit connected to his family’s past.
“Yes, this is a ghost, but it has something to do with the man’s family,” Gogo Shumba explained. “It is likely that the deceased whose spirit it is was murdered in the man’s lineage, judging by how it happened.”
Madzibaba Mateu Mupfumbati, also from Harare, echoed the need for urgent intervention.
“This ghost has a message for this man and his family, which requires the elders to address this issue,” Madzibaba Mateu stated. “If they leave the man like that, he could be driven mad by what happened to him.”
As Vusa Matoto grapples with the aftermath of his alleged supernatural encounter, the community awaits answers and guidance from traditional and spiritual leaders. The question remains: was it a ghost, or a trick of the night playing on a tired mind?
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