Unseen Forces Torment Harare Family in Dzivaresekwa: A Chilling Investigation
Harare – A family in Dzivaresekwa Extension Phase 1 is enduring a terrifying ordeal, claiming their home is under siege from unseen forces pelting it with stones from the air. This bizarre phenomenon, which began in March of this year, has left their property damaged and the residents living in constant fear, prompting calls for urgent assistance from the public.
Mr. Edward Tayengwa, 55, and his wife, Mrs. Kanganwirai Magombedze, 47, are at the centre of this unsettling narrative. Their meticulously built home, a labour of love since they acquired the stand in 2002, has become a target for these mysterious aerial assaults. Mrs. Magombedze recounts the chilling onset of the incidents: “My husband and I built this house after obtaining this stand in 2002. We built it from the ground up until it was finished. Since then, we have never experienced any problems until March of this year, when stones started raining down on our house.”
The attacks, initially occurring at night, have escalated in intensity and frequency. The family, which also includes their children and 95-year-old Gogo Ednah Gambiza, Mr. Tayengwa’s mother who joined them two years ago from Hwedza, are now accustomed to the terrifying sounds. “These stones are thrown in the middle of the night or at dawn. We just hear the sound of the iron sheets on the roof, and the windows breaking,” Mrs. Magombedze explains. The family’s initial assumption of thieves quickly dissipated as repeated searches of their yard with neighbours yielded no culprits. “We used to think they were thieves, but when we wake up, we don’t see anyone, which has led us to believe it could be witches, goblins, or other forms of witchcraft. Some people suspect ghosts, but we see nothing.”
The physical damage to their home is stark evidence of the ongoing torment. The problem first manifested when a stone pierced the asbestos roof in their living room. Since then, the projectiles have shattered three windows, forcing the family to cover the gaping holes with iron sheets to keep out the elements. “Since then, these stones have been thrown on different days, breaking windows, which has caused us to live in houses without windows. Currently, three windows have been broken. We are now covering the holes with iron sheets inside to prevent the wind from entering,” Mrs. Magombedze states.
One particularly alarming incident occurred on April 19, when stones rained down with such force that they covered the entire yard. Despite a thorough search with neighbours at 3 AM, no one was found. Just last Wednesday, the attacks resumed around 4 AM. The family’s fear is palpable, especially for the elderly Gogo Gambiza and the children. “Our house has five rooms, where we sleep separately. The children have their own, and the grandmother sleeps in hers. We are now constantly afraid that some of us may be struck by these stones at night while sleeping, and someone could die or be injured,” Mrs. Magombedze reveals. The fear extends even to basic necessities: “at night, they are afraid to go outside to use the toilet or walk anywhere.”
Gogo Gambiza, despite her advanced age and impaired vision, corroborates the family’s distress. “I cannot see, but when these stones start being thrown, I hear the noise, and I wake up. I am now afraid for my daughter-in-law, my son, and my grandchildren that they will be injured by these stones. Since I was born, I have never seen anything like this. We need help,” she pleads. She also confirms that the family has no known conflicts with neighbours, deepening the mystery. “I don’t know, we are just suspecting that witches are doing this, or goblins, or even ghosts. But there is no history of such a problem here.”
Adding to the eerie atmosphere, the family reports hearing unseen footsteps outside their home, further solidifying their belief in a supernatural explanation. The head of the household, Mr. Tayengwa, was unavailable for comment during a recent visit to the family’s home. The ongoing disturbances have also had practical consequences, with no tenants willing to rent rooms in the house due to the unsettling events.
This is not an isolated incident in Zimbabwe, where reports of mysterious stone-throwing and alleged poltergeist activity occasionally surface. In February 2026, a similar series of inexplicable stone showers forced renters to abandon a residence elsewhere in Zimbabwe. While details are scarce, such occurrences highlight a recurring theme of unexplained phenomena in the region. Furthermore, Dzivaresekwa itself is home to the infamous ‘Dzivarasekwa Haunted House,’ an abandoned 27-room mansion that locals claim is haunted by a mysterious entity. Although seemingly unrelated to the Tayengwa-Magombedze family’s plight, the existence of such a widely known ‘haunted’ location in the same area underscores a local narrative steeped in the supernatural and unexplained.
Sekuru George Kandiyero, the head of the Zimbabwe National Traditional Healers Association (Zinatha), offers a traditional perspective on the Tayengwa-Magombedze family’s predicament. He suggests the presence of mischievous spirits or vows, possibly placed by the homeowners themselves or by adversaries. “This family needs help urgently. There may be spirits of the dead causing disturbances, there may be graves, or there may be ancestral spirits in their lineage, or charms that have backfired from seeking money, and other various things in traditional beliefs,” Sekuru Kandiyero advises. His comments resonate with the cultural beliefs prevalent in Zimbabwe, where traditional healers are often consulted for matters beyond conventional explanation.
The Tayengwa-Magombedze family, originally from Svosve in Hwedza, asserts that there is nothing in their rural background that would explain their current ordeal. The most tangible evidence of the attacks is a brick that once flew through a window, injuring Mrs. Magombedze’s hand. “A whole brick once came in, broke a window, and fell into the living room. I touched it and lifted it, and my right hand hurt. It started swelling up immediately. I started applying medication for days until it was a little less painful now, but we have kept the brick,” she recounts, a chilling testament to the physical reality of their invisible tormentors.
As the family continues to grapple with these inexplicable events, their plea for help grows more desperate. The intersection of modern hardship and ancient beliefs creates a compelling, albeit frightening, narrative in the heart of Harare. The community watches, perhaps with a mixture of scepticism and unease, as the Tayengwa-Magombedze family seeks solace and an end to the relentless stone showers.