Witchcraft tears family apart

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A MARANGE family is in the eye of a witchcraft storm which has left its octogenarian father, accused of wizardry and possessing goblins, approaching the courts for protection.

After having enough of the witchcraft accusations and subsequent beatings from his son, 82-year-old Ledrakey Zinzombe, last Friday, dragged his son Yeman to the Mutare Civil Court seeking a protection order against him.

Magistrate Miss Nyasha Kuture presided over the matter and granted the order that will be in force for five years.

Zinzombe had told the court that his son often beats him, accusing him of being the culprit behind the mishaps in the family, and was living in perpetual fear.

“He threatens to set my house on fire at night so that I die in my sleep, and I fear he might do it because at one time he attacked me with an axe, which resulted in my hospitalisation.

“He tells everyone that my wife and I are responsible for his wife’s barrenness. He alleges that we took her hair and soil from a child’s grave, and used them for rituals. He accuses me of eating unborn babies from his wife’s womb, and I have had enough of such disrespect from him. It is sickening,” he said.

Zinzombe said Yeman accuses him of possessing goblins that sleep with his daughters.

“I have three daughters, he influenced them and now they have turned against me and their mother. He lied to them that I was a wizard, and that I am the cause of all their problems. They have all stopped visiting our home from Harare. They have cut us out and no longer bring us groceries as they used to,” he said.

Yeman confirmed accusing his father of witchcraft.

“All I want is for him to accompany us to traditional healers so that we get help. He should stop all claims of being a born again Christian, we are all Christians, but need help.

“It has been 10 years, and everybody knows that he has some goblins that sleep with and terrorise us. My parents went to Chipinge for lucky enhancing charms in the 90s, it is a known fact. All we want is for those goblins to stop terrorising us,” he said.