Harare – The body of Bob Karonga, a gardener who went missing from Borrowdale last week, was discovered on Tuesday at a farm in Chegutu, sparking a police investigation and raising concerns about a dark undercurrent of ritualistic practices in Zimbabwe.
Karonga, who was last seen on March 20th at his workplace in Borrowdale, was found near Itape Farm, where his sister, Loice Karonga, resides. He reportedly left his workplace with the intention of purchasing airtime but never returned, prompting a missing person report.
The circumstances surrounding Karonga’s disappearance and death took a sinister turn when his employer received a disturbing phone call on Monday around 4pm. The caller, an unknown person, claimed to have kidnapped Karonga and stated that they were “done with” him, adding that they wanted his sperm.
Further escalating the horror, the employer received an audio recording of a male voice, along with nude photographs of Karonga lying on a bed in an apparent unconscious state. These images, sent from Karonga’s own phone, are believed to be the work of his abductors. The callers indicated they planned to dump him in Gweru.
Tragically, on Tuesday at around 5am, Loice Karonga discovered her brother’s body lying approximately 40 metres from her house at Plot 4 Itape farm in Chegutu.
“We are in a shock,” said one of the relatives, reflecting the family’s devastation.
“There were no struggle marks at the scene where the body was discovered lying facing downwards. The body was inspected, and no injuries were noted. The now deceased had been relieving himself as some watery stool was at the scene,” the relative added.
The body has been taken to Chegutu District Hospital mortuary for a postmortem to determine the cause of death.
While the police investigation is ongoing, this case has reignited fears surrounding so-called “sperm harvesting” rituals, a disturbing practice that has been reported in Zimbabwe and neighbouring South Africa. These rituals involve the abduction and sexual assault of men, with the extracted sperm allegedly used for various purposes, including feeding money-making goblins or creating powerful muti (traditional medicine).
Reports suggest that unscrupulous women sometimes target men, drugging or even abducting them at gunpoint to obtain their sperm. This sperm is then allegedly sold to traditional healers (sangomas) for exorbitant sums, with a single condom full of semen reportedly fetching thousands of dollars.
The consequences for the men whose sperm is used in these rituals are said to be dire. Traditional healers claim that the men can suffer from impotence, spiritual sickness, and a general decline in their well-being. They often require spiritual cleansing to counteract the effects of the ritual.
Furthermore, there are reports of prostitutes collecting used condoms from their clients and selling them to traditional healers, particularly in South Africa, who use the sperm for similar purposes.
In a related case that came to light in Bulawayo in June 2022, police investigated a case of aggravated indecent assault after three women allegedly drugged and sexually assaulted a man they had given a lift to, raising suspicions of sperm harvesting. The victim, a 26-year-old man from Pumula South, lost consciousness after accepting a drink from the women and woke up the next morning near Robert Sinyoka Primary School, discovering a “whitish substance” on his stomach.
Similar incidents have been reported in the past. In 2016, three women allegedly abducted a man from Cowdray Park and forced him to have sex with them before taking his semen. In 2011, three women were arrested in Gweru with 31 used condoms containing semen, although they were later acquitted due to lack of evidence.
These cases highlight the vulnerability of men to sexual assault and the disturbing possibility that their sperm is being used for ritualistic purposes.
George Kandiero, the president of the Zimbabwe National Traditional Healers Association (ZINATHA), has previously stated that victims of sperm harvesting are often in a semi-conscious state due to the use of aphrodisiacs. He explained that the sperm is taken by duress because the spells will not work if it is given up voluntarily.
Kandiero also noted that some women collect sperm for wealthy individuals who use it for various rituals, including money rituals and to manipulate or control others. He stressed the importance of spiritual cleansing for victims of these assaults, as they can suffer from both physical and spiritual harm.
