Harare – In a story that sounds more like a script from a horror film than reality, a family in Parkridge, Kuwadzana Extension, Harare, claims to be living under siege from unseen entities. The Hativagoni family say they are being tormented by invisible creatures, slashed by phantom knives, and even tattooed by razors that exist only in the spirit world.
Mr. Clemence Hativagoni (51), originally from Tandi, Rusape in Manicaland, along with his wife Auxillia and their two children, are at the centre of this extraordinary tale. They claim their nightmare began back in 2022 when they were residing in company housing in Westwood, Kambuzuma.
According to Mrs. Auxillia Chihowa (51), the bizarre events started with her being inexplicably bitten by ants and termites that she could not see, only feeling their painful stings.
“This problem started in 2022 when we were living in Westwood, Kambuzuma, where I would be cut by knives and razors that I couldn’t see,” Mrs. Chihowa recounted. “It continued until now. I sometimes see a large cut appear, and I scream. People come and witness me bleeding from these wounds.” She further stated that the blood from these wounds clots remarkably quickly.
The situation has become so severe that Mrs. Chihowa believes she is being targeted by malevolent spirits. “It is said that a spirit comes out of me and says that these things are caused by zvidhoma or zvikwambo (goblins or tokoloshes) that want to kill me to eat my flesh, claiming they come from Masvingo,” she explained. “The problem is that I don’t come from Masvingo, and we don’t have any relatives there. I come from Beatrice in Ringa, and my husband comes from Tandi, Rusape in Manicaland.”
Seeking respite, the family relocated to their own home in Parkridge. However, the torment, they say, has continued unabated.
“This problem is continuing. I woke up one day to find incisions (kutemwa nyora) on my forehead,” Mrs Chihowa said, adding to the catalogue of strange happenings. “We have grandchildren and an aunt who woke up with their hair shaved off, and they ended up fleeing from here. My body is crawled on by ants and termites that I feel, stinging me wherever they want and even entering my stomach.”
As a result of the relentless attacks, Mrs. Chihowa says she is in a constant state of discomfort. “Being cut by a knife or razor is now less frequent, but when it starts, I scream, and everyone wakes up. When the bites from termites and ants start, I also wake up immediately. Even as we speak, I am being bitten; I am swarming with ants and termites,” she explained, scratching intensely as she spoke.
Reporters at the scene witnessed Mrs. Chihowa scratching uncontrollably, displaying clear signs of distress, despite there being no visible cause for her discomfort.
Adding another layer of mystery to the situation, Mrs. Chihowa claims: “Strange things that we cannot see also move on top of the roof and inside and outside the house. We are being told that I am being used by people who want to make me a witch.”
Mr. Hativagoni confirmed his wife’s account, stating that he too has experienced the invisible bites. Desperate for a solution, the family has exhausted their resources. “The problem started at the company houses we lived in at Westwood in Kambuzuma, where my wife started being cut by a knife and razor, developing large wounds and being possessed by a spirit that said it wanted flesh, which still comes to this day,” he said. “We then left and came to our own home, but the problem is progressing. My daughter and I are also being bitten.”
The family’s plight has had a devastating impact. “We have spent money and livestock to seek healing, but nothing has worked,” Mr. Hativagoni lamented. “Our daughter ended up stopping at Form 6 because of this problem and couldn’t continue with school.”
Adding to the unsettling atmosphere, Mr. Hativagoni claims they often hear the sound of birds flying inside the house, yet they are unable to see them.
Their daughter, Clarice Hativagoni (23), echoed her parents’ experiences. “We don’t have peace here with my parents because of being bitten by these things we cannot see; we are always scratching,” she said. “My mother went to the hospital endlessly, but no disease was found. I dropped out of school because of lack of funds, and I got 6 points in Form 6, so I want to go back to school.”
Dr. Enock Maidah, a medical expert from the University of Zimbabwe (UZ), has urged the family to seek professional medical attention. “The family should go to the hospital and seek help from specialist doctors,” he advised.
