MUTARE: A ZIMUNYA woman was allegedly killed by her sister-in-law following a fallout over a cup of milk.
While traditionally an avenging spirit is known to attack the alleged killer’s bloodline, apparently in an act of retribution, the late Clara Murangwa’s avenging spirit is tormenting her own bloodline for harbouring their daughter-in-law Kerina Mutongwana married to the deceased’s brother Solomon Murangwa.
Clara’s avenging spirit is manifesting through the couple’s son, Richard, who has also developed an ecliptic condition that the deceased used to suffer from.
This prompted Headman Chigodora to summon the whole family to his community court last Saturday to rectify the problem.
Kerina admitted to the allegations raised by the avenging spirit.
Clara’s avenging spirit claimed that Kerina plotted her demise following their misunderstanding over a cup of fresh milk.
The avenging spirit threatened to continue unleashing a reign of terror through mysterious deaths, and afflicting the entire family with ecliptic seizures if Kerina is not send packing.
The avenging spirit attributed all the mishaps that have been plaguing the family to its vengeance after they failed to chase Kerina away.
It claimed having caused several deaths in the family as well as plaguing some members with epileptic seizures — a disease that Clara used to suffer from before her death.
Richard is one of the family members encumbered with the ecliptic seizures that doctors have failed to scientifically diagnose or cure.
The avenging spirit gave a detailed explanation of Clara’s premature demise.
“One day, my mother left me in charge of our dairy cows with a clear instruction that after milking them, I should share some fresh milk with Kerina since she was still new in the family. I did exactly that, but she was not satisfied. She felt that I had short-changed her by giving her less milk. A misunderstanding arose, ending up in a fist fight between us. I thumped her, and she lost her front teeth during the fight.
“However, she could not fathom the defeat, and instead, stole my doek and disappeared with it to her parents’ home at 22 Miles in Marange area. She told her parents what had happened between us. Her parents were incensed by her gapped teeth. They agreed to ‘fix’ me using the stolen doek, leading to my death. That is how I died,” it claimed.
The Murangwa family members who attended the court session were livid with the revelation, and demanded Kerina’s immediate packing.
However, Solomon would have none of it, and told his siblings off.
An unyielding Solomon argued that mere hallucinations will not compel him to dump his wife.
“I will not send her packing. If I am to send my wife away as demanded, will you cook and clean the house for me? My wife is not going anywhere. All we want is to know how Clara’s avenging spirit wants to be appeased, and we will willingly do that, not that I should divorce my wife. You cannot come her and demand that I send my wife packing as old as she is. That is not possible, and forget it,” he vowed.
Kerina Matongwana confessed to the allegations levelled against her by the avenging spirit.
As a result, she paid an admission of guilty fine.
“I will pay whatever appeasement is demanded by the avenging spirit. Like what my husband has said, all we need to know are avenging spirit’s demands so that we find means to mobilise and pay for my sins,” she said.
Headman Chigodora told them that an avenging spirit is appeased by paying seven beasts to the dead person’s family, while another beast will be paid to the chief for defiling his land.
Another beast will be slaughtered as part of rituals that will be performed to cleanse the deceased’s homestead.
“You can just pay these together with a white sheep, white goat and rooster, but if you don’t want, then we can also wait for the avenging spirit to outline its demands,” said Headman Chigodora.
The matter was adjourned to August 31 to allow the family time to raise the livestock to appease the avenging spirit.
Source:Manica Post
