A recent visit by a witch doctor

This recent encounter with a witch doctor came a year or so back. My father's house had been robbed and we came to the conclusion this has something to do with our ex gardener who was a Maroi - or bad witch doctor.

We called in the relation of a friend's domestic worker who was a powerful nyanga.

He arrived in the evening - I had no idea how memorable an evening it would be.

He changed into his 'working clothes' - skins and feathers and we all sat down on the drawing room floor while he threw the bones.

After deliberation he asked us to light a fire in the fireplace and to bring a heat proof dish. We provided an earthenware baking dish.

He proceeded to place an assortment of herbs and other material in the dish and then took a stick and lighted it from the fire in the fireplace. With the flame he lit the herbs which began to smolder and let off a sweet fragrant smell. We the accompanied him as he carried this through the house entering each room in turn - including the bathrooms! he was chanting and almost in a trance.

We then went outside the house and walked around it completely and then entered the cottage which had been robbed - again we entered the rooms and the chanting continued.

He now knelt down on the lawn outside the front of the cottage and buried the remaining 'herb' mixture in the earth.

I must say we did not have any trouble for some time after this.

More Nyanga meetings

We awoke one morning to find a baby dove with its feet tied with string made from bark.

We immediately knew it was witchcraft and after freeing the dove and placing it in a cage called Sunday to get rid of the spell.

He came with his normal 'equipment', threw the bones and announced that our ex - gardener wanted our domestic worker's job and was trying to kill him.

An appropriate mixture of herbs and liquid was made, his fly whisk put into action and the mixture offered to our domestic who had to had to eat some of this. The remainder of the mixture was scattered around the garden.

We were told not to let the ex - gardener onto the premises.

Our Nyanga told us that all would be alright as he had broken the spell. we never saw the gardener again and our domestic worker is still alive after many years.

What has to be remembered is that these are day to day occurrences in Zimbabwe - sometimes the witchcraft comes from living beings, sometimes from the spirit world.

Getting the house protected

We have on several occasions employed the skills of a Nyanga or witch doctor to protect our house.

Each time it has been a new and interesting experience.

The first time we were having a spate of strange occurrences - stones falling on the roof, strange noises at night and objects disappearing - our friendly, local witch doctor came to the house and spread out a cloth on our lawn. He proceeded to cast the 'bones' to find out what was causing our problem. According to him it was a powerful Nyanga living down the road from us.

The witch doctor made small packets from cloth with a filling of herbs and small stones. These he buried in holes at all four corners of our plot. We seemed to have a more peaceful few months but this was not to be the end...........

What do we have in the house?

Another strange occurrence.

Our kitchen hot tap would not work - it looked like the geyser was blocked - or the pipes.

The only way to access the geyser is to go up into the roof - an operation that requires us to bring in a long ladder - get out torches and climb around inside the roof.

My husband went up in the roof dreading what he might find.

When he investigated he found that the tap feeding water to the geyser had been firmly turned off!

No one had been in the roof and it would be impossible to turn off the tap without accessing it this way.

So who was responsible?

The poltergeist?

Is Great Zimbabwe haunted?

I have visited the Ruins of great Zimbabwe on many occassions. One in particular is of interest.

My husband, parents and I travelled down to Masvingo with the intention of visiting the Conical Tower - pictured here - at midnight and discover if we could feel any presence at all.

We had a light supper but nothing to drink and proceeded to the Conical Tower (in those days one had no fences or gates on the site). We took up positions around the tower and waited.

It was a lovely moonlit night and we would have been able to see anything that appeared.

There was nothing - we waited longer - but nothing - not even a bat!!! Certainly no ghosts. We left the site at about 2:30 am - rather disappointed!

Perhaps we should go back when the moon is hidden? Who knows.