The quiet suburb of Retreat in Waterfalls, Harare, is home to a family grappling with a chilling mystery. Memory Hambure, a mother of four, finds herself at the end of her tether, desperately seeking help for her two eldest sons, aged six and three, who are exhibiting disturbing and inexplicable symptoms.
The eldest son, a lively six-year-old, has been losing hair from his scalp at night, leaving his mother bewildered and deeply concerned.
“We wake up to find his hair missing, and there is no trace of it. This problem started last year when we were living in a different place,” she explained.
Adding to the family’s distress is the younger son’s persistent sleep deprivation.
“He can go for three days without sleeping. As his mother, I don’t get to sleep because of his lack of sleep,” Hambure revealed.
The family’s ordeal has taken a toll on their well-being.
“It’s like my children are being used by witches,” Hambure said.
She has tried everything to alleviate her sons’ suffering, seeking help from both prophets and traditional healers.
“The one who loses hair at night, I have given him oils and both traditional and modern medicine, and I have used water from different sources to anoint him, and he is getting better. However, I am worried because I don’t know where his hair is going. I have been keeping him with his hair shaved,” she shared.
The younger son’s condition is equally perplexing.
“You see him moving his hands as if he is picking up something from the ceiling or other places. His body becomes stiff. Since he cannot speak, I don’t know what he sees. Sometimes he cries, and it’s like someone is giving him something to eat, and he starts to eat, as if he is chewing meat or eating other things,” Hambure described.
The boy’s behaviour extends to imitating adult actions, further deepening the mystery.
“Sometimes he moves his hands as if he is smoking a cigarette. He does things that adults do. We are told that the children are being used by evil spirits,” Hambure said.
The family’s desperation is compounded by the lack of a clear explanation for the children’s ailments.
“Some people say that this child is being fed the flesh of dead people at night by witches. They also say that my children are being attacked by snakes at night, but I haven’t seen the snakes,” Hambure revealed.
Adding to the family’s burden is the loss of both their parents, leaving them with a sense of isolation and a lack of support.
“Our parents both passed away, so we have no one to cry to. We were born three children, including my other sister. We moved to our village because of different problems, and we are strangers here in Harare. The children are said to be attacked by snakes, and we have suffered with them,” Hambure’s sister, Melody, said.
The family’s plight has moved those who have heard their story, with many offering words of comfort and support. Melody Hambure, her voice filled with a mix of sadness and hope, said,
“My sister has no peace with her two children. One keeps losing hair and it doesn’t grow back, and the other doesn’t sleep. My sister sleeps during the day. We are seeking help because of this problem.”
For those who wish to offer assistance, the family can be reached at 0773 221 433.
The family’s ordeal has caught the attention of Sekuru Kanengo, a renowned traditional healer from Harare.
“Hair is used for many things, including making someone fail or driving them mad by giving them a curse. Someone who doesn’t sleep is being used for witchcraft,” Sekuru Kanengo explained and added that if the family members don’t take urgent action they may become mentally challenged.
