A Ruwa woman, Mrs Zinene Sithole (40), is pleading for help after claiming a mysterious illness, which she attributes to a wedding feast in 2013, has left her plagued by terrifying nightmares, auditory hallucinations, and unexplained nocturnal wanderings. The incidents, she says, began immediately after consuming food served at her wedding on May 5th, 2013.
“It’s not a figment of my imagination that what I’m experiencing is Satanism inflicted upon me since my wedding,” Mrs Sithole stated.
“The food that was brought to me was unusual; it included rice and some queer meat I couldn’t identify. Surrounded by people, I ate the food, and immediately afterwards, I started experiencing things I couldn’t understand. I told my husband what was happening to me.”
The unsettling events, according to Mrs Sithole, began the very night following her wedding.
“The following night, I started dreaming again, surrounded by naked men and women, bathing with me in water, with one of the men attempting to have sex with me. Others came to our house claiming they gave us water mixed with corpses to use at home, to destroy everything and spoil our food,” she recounted. These disturbing dreams, she claims, are ongoing, and are accompanied by other inexplicable phenomena.
She further described witnessing unsettling transformations at the wedding itself.
“She recounts seeing people transforming into animals or snakes at the wedding, leading her to believe she was losing her mind,” she said. This belief, coupled with the subsequent events, has intensified her distress.
Mrs Sithole’s ordeal extends beyond vivid dreams. She reports hearing voices whispering instructions in her ears, often leading her to a local graveyard.
“In my ears, I hear male or female voices saying, ‘Come, let’s go,’ and I wake up to find myself in the graveyard. I don’t know how I get back home; I just find myself there,” she explained.
These voices, she claims, sometimes instruct her to travel to her mother’s home in Magororo in Hurungwe, or even to countries such as Nigeria, South Africa, or Botswana. The disturbing occurrences have significantly impacted her life.
“When we got married, we were living in Damafalls, before moving to Ruwa, and then bought a stand in Solomio in 2017. The problem has only worsened since then,” she said.
She also describes her home inexplicably filling with horses, and doors being found unlocked despite being securely fastened.
“We lock both our outside and inside doors, but they are found open, and we don’t know who does it,” she stated.
The alleged supernatural attacks have taken a heavy toll on her family.
“Because of this problem, my children and I go to different places seeking help, which has further complicated my problems and those of my family,” she lamented.
“There’s a female prophet who poured water on us and applied some unknown oil; since then, I’ve started dreaming of those creatures we call vampires biting my whole body. Sometimes she comes and takes me to the water at the dam near us.”
The financial strain caused by her illness has also added to her difficulties.
“Now nothing is going well in our house with my husband; there’s no money, and two of my children are struggling to pay school fees, as we have three children. This lack of money is why I believe I’m fighting Satanism,” she said.
The impact on her livelihood is significant. “My job is braiding women’s hair, but people don’t come anymore, and I’m afraid to go out in public,” she shared.
She has not disclosed her struggles to her parents, citing personal reasons, but her sister is aware of her plight. Those wishing to assist the family can contact 0789 090 502.
Seeking expert opinion, a traditional healer, Sekuru Gift Muzanenhamo, known as Sekuru Tasvu from Harare, offered some insight.
“Hearing voices in one’s ears can be caused by ancestral spirits, witchcraft, or a genuine mental health issue. She should seek help from various sources,” Sekuru Tasvu advised.
His suggestion highlights the complex nature of Mrs Sithole’s situation, suggesting the need for a multi-faceted approach to address her claims.
