A chilling tale of alleged witchcraft has unfolded in Nyahukwe area in Makoni District, where Bernard Nyamurundo, the village chairman, stands accused of inscribing the names of 30 fellow villagers onto cloths and using them in a ritual aimed at weakening them and supposedly “stealing” their wealth.
The distraught villagers brought their accusations before Chief Makoni’s community court, painting a picture of fear and suspicion within the community.
The villagers’ spokesperson, Godfrey Chidika, recounted the disturbing discovery: “There was a funeral at Nyamurundo’s neighbouring homestead and many villagers gathered there. A villager from Rugoyi Village was part of the mourners, and that person went to take a nap under a Mango Tree at Nyamurundo’s homestead. She picked a stone and found a white cloth underneath. The cloth was inscribed with names of some villagers, and she asked the mourners at the funeral if they knew these people.”
Chidika continued, detailing the escalating events: “I was also informed that my name was appearing on the cloth, together with 27 other villagers. After burial, the villagers confronted the chairman about the issue. At first he professed ignorance, and later admitted to writing the names on the cloth. He said his intention was not to kill us, but wanted us to vote for him to remain as the village chairman.” The initial admission, however, was followed by a period of denial and disappearance.
The discovery of a second cloth, this time bearing 30 names, further solidified the villagers’ suspicions. Chidika explained: “The cloth mysteriously disappeared. We later found another cloth on the same spot where the first one was located. It had 30 names of fellow villagers, including some whose names were on the first cloth. Nyamurundo said it was just an ordinary cloth and tried to throw away the soil, but we stopped him.” The chairman’s subsequent disappearance for a month only deepened the mystery and fuelled the villagers’ concerns.
Upon his return, Nyamurundo initially attempted to deflect blame, claiming duress and persecution. He told the court: “After the burial of a fellow villager, around 9pm, people flooded my homestead. They claimed that they found a cloth inscribed with their names, but the person who picked the cloth was not there. There was an exchange of harsh words. We consulted a prophet who said the issue must be solved by him only, not the chief’s court… I was forced to admit to things that I did not know.
“I managed to escape and went to Mutare where I stayed with my brother for some time. Later on, I returned, and people besieged my homestead again, saying they wanted me to appear before this court to explain the issue. These people are persecuting me as they have barred me from playing my radio at my homestead, and not to post insulting WhatsApp statuses. They were insulting me and my wife, and I ended up admitting to some issues they were alleging. I did not write their names on the cloth.”
However, under persistent questioning from the court, Nyamurundo eventually confessed: “Kukanganisa ndakakanganisa Changamire (I was wrong in doing this),” he admitted. This confession marked a turning point in the proceedings.
Chief Makoni, recognising the gravity of the situation, referred the case to the court’s resident traditional healer to assess the impact of Nyamurundo’s actions and prescribe remedies. The healer’s findings were damning.
A court messenger relayed the healer’s assessment: “The traditional healer first asked Nyamurundo why he was setting fire on other villagers. He was asked who inscribed the names of the people as this lead to their deaths. He admitted that it was him. It was exposed that he had done that in order to steal their wealth.
“Nyamurundo was asked how he would compensate those who had already passed on, but he said all those on the list were still alive. The healer added that those on the list require urgent cleansing, and five beasts are needed for the curse to be reversed. He added that Nyamurundo is planning to escape from the village again.”
Faced with the healer’s pronouncements and his own confession, Nyamurundo admitted he lacked the resources to fund the necessary cleansing rituals. He pledged to seek assistance from relatives.
The court, however, ruled that the affected villagers should bear the cost of the cleansing, stating: “We cannot force his relatives to fund things they were not part of. The accused person has admitted that he does not have anything to fund the cleansing. Those affected should protect themselves by taking the lead in having the cleansing rituals.”
