A tale of a brown snake with a white stripe on its belly, a tale of witchcraft and family feuds, a tale that has gripped the small community of Zimunya in Mutare.
Headman Chigodora’s court is crackled with a strange tension as Seline Rakatsinzwa recounted her harrowing tale.
Seline claims the snake has been haunting her since she and other family members accused her sister, Elliot Rakatsinzwa, of practicing witchcraft. The accusations, she says, stemmed from a deep-seated belief that Elliot was responsible for the troubles plaguing the family.
“My nephew brought my sister to court, accusing her of causing the family’s troubles. He wanted answers,” Seline explained.
“My sister was reluctant, but the court encouraged us to seek a traditional healer’s help. However, it brought me no relief, as this brown snake with a white stripe on its belly continues to haunt me. Then, the healer arrived, and the snake was extracted from my bag, making it seem like I was the witch.”
The appearance of the snake from Seline’s bag sent shockwaves in the family, casting suspicion on her.
“The healer revealed that this snake was the one roaming our home and had been placed in my bag by someone who wanted to make it seem like I was the owner. I brought the bag willingly when asked. The snake’s owner was said to have a protective charm,” Seline said.
Adding to the mystery, the healer claimed the snake was planted in Seline’s bag to act as a spy, collecting information from the family and relaying it to its owner.
“When people heard that the snake wasn’t mine, they started exonerating me. I suspect my sister placed the snake in my bag and it continues to follow me because I still see it,” Seline said, her voice trembling slightly.
Elliot, however, has not appeared in court to present her side of the story, leaving the accusations unanswered.
Adding further weight to Seline’s claims, the Headman’s Court police detail, Kudakwashe Maina, also testified about his own encounter with the snake.
“Having encountered the snake, I believe this case is genuine. The snake tried to bite me to prevent me from taking the family to the healer. It was early in the morning when I suddenly saw this brown snake with a white stripe on its belly. It looked at me, and I looked back. It seemed like it wanted to bite me, then it just turned away. I didn’t think much of it until the snake was removed from Seline’s bag by a different healer, 100 kilometers from where I saw it in the morning,” Maina said.
The healer, however, was unable to identify the person behind the family’s troubles due to a protective charm possessed by the individual.
“This charm prevents the healer from seeing or knowing who is practicing witchcraft and tormenting the family,” Maina explained while highlighting the complexity of the situation.
Despite the lack of a definitive answer, the healer confirmed that the snake was the root cause of the Rakatsinzwa family’s problems.
Headman Chigodora, acknowledging the gravity of the situation, stated that the case will continue with a hearing at a later date when Elliot is served with summons to appear in court.
