A 97-YEAR-OLD Mapembe man and his son have been exonerated from the wizardry allegations there were facing following a full trial that saw dozens of spiritual healers being consulted.
The elderly man, Sekuru Timothy Mutsago and his Harare-based-son, Blessing Mutsago, were both declared innocent by Chief Marange after the evidence brought before the court proved that the three deaths that recently happened consecutively in the family had nothing to do with wizardry.
The medical records for the three deceased members of the family − Nokuthula Ncube (21) and her mother Future Mutsago (49), as well as Shadreck Mutsago, showed some medical conditions that might have resulted in his death.
This was also confirmed by consulted traditional and faith healers.
However, Sekuru Mutsago’s sons − Silence and Evans − insisted that their father and brother were dabbling in black magic and causing the deaths of family members.
Silence claimed that a traditional healer he had consulted had said his father possesses blood-thirsty snakes.
He said the healer had told him that he (Silence) was next on the ‘firing’ line, and that if nothing was done, he will die on May 15 (Sunday).
“I was told that the angel of death will visit me soon and I am living in fear. The deaths were supposed to happen on the fourth of every month, but we weakened the spirit by exposing it.
“The spirit seems stronger now and we were told it will be visiting us every 15th day of the month,” he said.
“My sister and her daughter might have been unwell, but that does not explain why they died on the fourth of consecutive months. Nokuthula died on November 4, Future on December 4 and our uncle on January 4 this year,” he said.
Evans chipped in to say their mother is critically ill and they fear that she will also die soon.
“Our mother is critically ill and she is exhibiting the same symptoms of the ‘disease’ that claimed the lives of the family members who recently died.
“Before their last breaths, our family members would cry out saying someone had stabbed their hearts. That is what our mother is also claiming to be suffering from.
“She is bed-ridden and staying with Blessing in Harare, but we now fear for her life,” said Evans.
ln a telephone interview with Manica Post Weekender, Blessing said he is thankful that they were exonerated by the traditional court.
“I am the one taking care of my mother. She suffered a stroke and I am covering all her medical expenses, yet my siblings accuse me of wizardry. Instead of thanking me, they are tarnishing my image. This is heartbreaking,” he said.
“We have videos of my late sister, Future, saying she was not okay while in South Africa.
“She was hospitalised there before returning home to attend to her daughter’s funeral in November. When Silence and Evans discovered that her health was failing, they took her medication to a traditional healer to ‘cleanse’ it.
“Instead of taking Future to the hospital, they rushed to a traditional healer and where told what they wanted to hear − that black magic was at play.
“Unfortunately, my father and I were named as the culprits. I am relieved that we have been exonerated although they insist that we are wizards,” he said, adding that Silence and Evans are the black sheep of the family as they are facing stock theft charges after they sold their father’s cattle.
The two brothers confirmed that they have a pending stock theft case at the Mutare Magistrates’ Court and are out on bail.
— Manica Post
