We often go to RIFA an educational conservation camp on the Zambezi.  We look after the children who go on a weeks course. 

There have been a number of caretakers and at one stage they stayed in the cottage we now occupy when we are there.

Some time ago an old man lived there - he had a false leg and it did not fit very well. 

Unfortunately he passed away while at the camp.

We now often here the door being tried and the sound of a man walking around with a definite limp!

Has he returned?

A book about Ghosts - not in Africa but makes interesting reading

‘MALCOLM ROBINSON INVESTIGATES’

Paranormal Case Files of Great Britain has been published by
Healings of Atlantis Ltd and is available on Amazon and at:
http://www.healingsofatlantis.com/

For further information please contact Amanda Owen on:
0208 656 4641 or amanda@healingsofatlantis.com
PUBLICATION DATE: August 2010
ISBN NUMBER: 978-1-907126-06-2
Ghost’s and hauntings… These words convey to some individuals, an in-depth fear of the paranormal. The chilling thought that deceased persons have in some cases, returned from the grave to once again appear, if only in shadowy form and to fill us with fear of their grimly presences, is a fact that few seriously minded persons cannot now dismiss.
Strange tales of ghosts and hauntings can be found from all corners of the earth and records show that accounts of ghostly presences go well back into antiquity. As a researcher on the paranormal, Malcolm takes from his files, incredible tales of ghosts and paranormal events. He also shares with us his own ghostly encounters of which he has had more than his fair share! This book covers some amazing cases from haunted council houses to haunted castles. Malcolm brings forward personal accounts from people who have had first hand dealings with ghosts. Their testimonies will shock and in a court of law these would be hard to dismiss.

Malcolm has lectured extensively on UFOs and the Paranormal all over the UK, Ireland and Holland, and was the first Scot to lecture on American soil in Laughlin Nevada in 2009. Malcolm has appeared regularly on TV both in the UK and all over the world and has assisted newspapers and radio stations with information on UFOs and the Paranormal.

In this his second book, Malcolm clearly shows that within the pages of this book, evidence can be found of ghosts that will make even the biggest of sceptics sit up and take notice. Britain is known worldwide for its ghostly tales and this book contributes to the growing testimony that shows that whatever we may think ghosts are, there is no denying that, come what may, they are real as the cases from frightened witnesses in this book clearly show. A stunning and frightening look at some of Britain’s ghostly case files. Read on if you dare!
http://www.healingsofatlantis.com/

Mutare Ghost

By: shivanuchouhan@yahoo.co.in

When Iwas younger, about maybe 4-6, I don't remember how old I was, I was visiting some family friends with my parents. We used to live in Harare, Zimbabwe at that time, and these friends lived in Mutare.

Mutare is a hilly sort of a place, and their house is on one side of the hill, and opposite on another hill almost at the top is a church. You know how hills are joined together, there's a dip between the two peaks. Well, I was sitting outside in their lawn just looking at the hills opposite, when I saw a white human figure flit down one side of a hill and up on to the other hill and went up to where the church stood, and then disappeared. I know what I saw, I remember it like it happened yesterday, and I know it was a human figure, only no human i have ever heard of can go so fast on no road......and that too on a hill.....

Ancient City of Great Zimbabwe.

From Donette Read Kruger

I believe but that is only because I have had several very different experiences, the most recent while visiting the ancient city of Great Zimbabwe in Oct 2006. Our tour guide had taken the group down to the Museum but I remained behind walking around on my own within those ancient granite walls when I realised I was being followed. I then noticed that on the other side of a low wall there were four young teenage boys with dreadlocks and, wearing only groin skins, crouched down and moving along on the other side of the wall to keeping up with me. My immediate reaction, unaware they were spirits, was to greet them and that is when I also noticed the long dry grass in which they were moving was bending over. When I looked back at them say "Hello" again, they were not there. And afterwards I realised there was no long grass either. I understand that ghosts do exist, but in another dimension and it is only when we are least expecting it we might have the privilege to see or experience their presence. I immediately left the Monument and went down to see our tour guide but was quite deflated when he told me I was not the only one to have seen ghosts at the Ancient City of Great Zimbabwe.

Mon Feb 18 10:43:13 2008

Ghost in the Kitchen - a story from Mel

This is an interesting story -

I have lived near grave sites in the past and had no strange expereinces.
"As a ninety year old woman you can imagine the number of things that I have seen in my time. I believe in the supernatural world as a result of Many years. One of my oldest encounters with a ghost (if that's what you would prefer to Call them) in Zimbabwe was when my husband and I moved to africa.
We lived near one of the memorials for the locals this is where the Early africans buried their loved ones..
As a ninety year old woman you can imagine the number of things that I have seen in my time. I believe in the supernatural world as a result of Many years. One of my oldest encounters with a ghost (if that's what you would prefer to Call them) in Zimbabwe was when my husband and I moved to Africa.
We lived near one of the memorials for the locals this is where the Early africans buried their loved ones.. There were Many piles of stones that indicated where a body was buried. Many times during the night I would wake up to odd noises coming from our kitchen-I decided to investigate the one night and found an Odd murky figure slamming our doors shut.
It was angry. And I was scared."

Mel 1950

Makande rural clinic

Makande rural clinic situated 60 kilometres south-west of Karoi town was forced to close for two weeks after nurses fled following attacks by ‘’goblins’’ prompting traditional leaders to hire people to exorcise the area (tsikamutandas).


Makande isa malaria prone area is under Chief Musampakaruma of Nyaminyami’s Kariba rural area.

Villagers said the goblins attacks came at a time when nurses were busy with a malaria programme aimed at reducing malaria related deaths, which are prevalent in the area.

Villager Edmore Mukapa of Kadziro area said, ‘’we were not expecting goblins to attack nurses who are trying hard to reduce malaria outbreak here. It’s unfortunate for us’’

A teacher at Makande primary school said school children were also causalities of attacks daily. The whole area being prone to Tokoloshi.

‘’Goblins attacking nurses leave us vulnerable. Goblins owners do not accept payments to their demands. You can not force them to accept the payments because of the Witch-craft Suppression Act. It’s a complicated issue’’ said a teacher who refused to be named for fear of victimisation. They seem to be beeing controled by people in the area.  But who?

Chief Musampakaruma hired tsikamutandas to expose suspects possessing goblins after nurses were attacked.

Villagers hailed the move to hire tsikamutandas to ‘’clean up witchcraft’’ although Chief Musampakaruma was not available for comment.

Nyaminyami council chief executive officer Isaac Mackenzie confirmed that traditional leaders hired tsikamutanda following complaints by victims of the attacks.

Although tsikamutandas are accused of sowing divisions among families and villagers, in Makande rural their presence is a reprieve.

‘’The attacks on nurses was unwarranted. Nurses are the last line of duty to combat malaria which is common here. Traditional leaders believe hiring of tsikamutandas will clean the area.’’ said Mackenzie.

It could not be independently verified from Hurungwe hospital that covers Makande of recorded malaria related deaths as the officials were out of office. Mashonaland West has had an outbreak of malaria since May.

The Ghosts of Gandavaroyi Falls

A natural wonder that has become the stuff of legend are the Gandavaroyi Falls located about 100 kilometres from Nembudziya Shopping Centre in the sprawling Midlands district of Gokwe.
The lore around the Falls is that from pre-colonial times right up to as late as the 1920’s, locals would throw all suspected witches into these waters, hence the Shona name "Gandavaroyi".

And according to the enduring lore of the place, one of its victims was a woman who was made to — as the Italian Mafia would say, "swim with the fishes", and left behind her twin children.

In 1926 Runyararo Mlambo, who was aged 20, was tossed into the Gandavaroyi Falls after the local community declared her to be a witch.

While two "witnesses" testified against the young woman, no concrete evidence was ever brought before the Dare to determine her guilt.

Many people who live in the area know this lore and they still view the falls with fear and trepidation with few of them venturing to get near these waters.

It is believed that the spirits of the witches still roam the area.

Bridge over the Mukuvisi

 A strange feeling grips one immediately after passing Jaggers Masasa and Danhiko. It happens as one passes over the narrow bridge across the Mukuvisi River... the area is strangely named 'pa11 months'... and is an interesting  story of death, ghosts and strange supernatural happenings. It is said that as couple driving across this bridge witnessed one of these happenings and were so frightened by it that they were involved in an accident and vanished in the pool below the bridge. Their remains  and that of  their car were only discovered after 11 months. So the area around the bridge  inherited the strange name... pa11months.

It is said that one can witness a child crossing the highway or a woman waving for a lift into town. These are  believed to be ghosts and one or both may be what the couple saw before their fatal accident.

Stories about pa11months are well known in area. While some genuinely believe that the spot is cursed and need cleansing, others dismiss them as fabrications of a superstitious lot.

I have never seen a ghost in this area but have often felt a strange and mysterious feeling of relief when I have passedthe spot.  i travel this road on a regular basis and until hearing this story always wondered why I felt this feeling of trepidation.

A closed Door

Last night we went to bed as normal leaving open the door to the hall and the one into out bathroom leading off the bedroom.  During the night I got up and as it was pitch dark made my way to the bathroom - I banged into the closed door!  There was no wind and the door had definitely been open when we went to bed.  we leave the door open every night - our dog who sleeps on our bed has a water bowl there and if the door had blown closed she would have made a fuss - she even barks if a cat walks past the house!  So what happened - is  our ghost at work again!

Telephone off the hook

I got up this morning and found the telephone off the hook in the hallway.  We had not used the telephone at all the previous day.  There was the normal tone coming from the phone as if it had recently beeen removed and the handset was placed carefully on top of the telephone directory - not like it had accidently been knocled off onto the table.  Anither strange appearance!  There was no one in the house except my husband and myself.

Poltergeist again!

And who says that ghosts don't know anything about modern technology!

We have no idea where our poltergeist comes from - we have no children in the house - unless one counts the dogs!

Yesterday our remote control for the decoder suddenly stopped working - so did the remote for the television.  it would not allow us to change channels or to mute the sound.  having changed the batteries, recharged the existing ones and re inserted into the remotes - we gave up - obviously the remotes were worn out and useless.  After ringing our service provider and being told that there were no replacements in the country - we decided to give in and use the manual route - this worked well - probably gave us a bit of extra exercise as well!

The following morning I absently picked up the remote to change the channel and it was working again!  So was the remote to the television.

No explanation except that our poltergeist must have been at work again - but why? 

Our younger son is away at the moment and we have noticed that his dog is continually looking at what we see as a blank spot and growling.  i have suggested that the little boy and the dog are keeping us company in our son's absence  Perhaps the remote was also part of his plan - a little 'joke' ghost style!

Mom sells baby’s ear for US$20

Is this the sign of the times or just the way of life continuing - this report was in the Herald this morning


By Freeman Razemba

A CHIPINGE woman reportedly killed her 18-month-old baby and cut off one ear, which she sold to a Mozambican traditional healer for US$20.

Christine Hofisi (21) was allegedly paid US$10 with the balance to be paid later.

Police believe it was a case of ritual murder.

A fellow villager stumbled upon young Edmore Mutisi’s body in a bush and made a police report.

Deputy police spokesperson Chief Superintendent Oliver Mandipaka yesterday said Hofisi was in custody assisting them with investigations.

The Mozambican — known as Maheza — is facing criminal charges in his home country after he was last year found in possession of 11 human skulls.

"The woman is from Chipinge Southdowns Estate and she strangled her son to death and cut off his left ear," he said.

Chief Supt Mandipaka said Hofisi hid the body in a bush before paying a visit to the traditional healer.

"The traditional healer is notorious for ritual murders in Mozambique. Hofisi sold the ear for US$20, but was given US$10 with the balance to be paid later," he said.

The child’s body was taken to Chipinge Hospital mortuary for post-mortem.

Sources close to the investigations yesterday said Maheza was in February last year arrested in his home country for possessing 11 human skulls.

He was released on bail and subsequently sneaked into Manicaland Province in September last year.

The whereabouts of the traditional healer are unknown though it is believed that he has returned to Mozambique.

In July last year, two cases of ritual murder were reported.

A four-year-old boy was found without his private parts while a woman’s corpse was discovered with the brain and other organs missing.

A Mutare man was also arrested last year, about 17 years after he allegedly offered his son to be killed by one of his friends — a businessman — for ritual purposes.

Eliah Mutengwende of Marange was paid Z$150 000 by the businessman identified as Lishon Masiyakurimain 1992.

Is this civilization?

A 39-year-old Chivi man allegedly killed his three-year-old son during a ritual to eliminate a fellow villager he suspected of having an affair with his wife.

Donnius Marume of Mhokore Village in Gororo communal lands appeared before Justice Tedius Karwi here facing murder charges following his son's disappearance during the ritual.

He denied killing the toddler, saying he discovered the boy had disappeared after recovering from a trance on the banks of Tugwi River where he was conducting the ritual.

Prosecutor Mr Lovack Masuku said in July 2006, Marume's son, Dominic, disappeared during the ritual conducted to kill one Dzingai Mhuru whom he suspected of having an affair with his wife.

However, Marume -- through his lawyer Mr Kossam Chuma of Chuma, Gurajena and Partners -- told the court he believed his son was still alive.

He said the boy could have wandered after being affected by the herbs he got from a South African herbalist who recommended the ritual.
Marume said he had gone back to the herbalist in South Africa after Dominic disappeared and was given more herbs.
He, however, gave up on the rituals and finding his son after the herbalist became hostile and threatened him, the court heard.
Jutice Karwi sitting with assessors Mr Eliphas Gweru and Samuel Mutomba reserved judgment to this week after the defence closed its case.
Charges against Marume arose in July 2006 when he returned from South Africa where he had gone to look for work and tried to lure back his estranged wife, Maria Garudzo who is Dominic's mother.
Garudzo, who is now deceased, said Marume should first pay lobola before they could live together again.

The court heard that Marume paid the lobola and Garudza moved back with him but the marriage allegedly turned sour after he claimed Dominic was not his son.

He reportedly went to South Africa to consult a herbalist who gave him herbs to administer on a small boy or sheep along a perennial river.

The n'anga said this would kill his wife's alleged lover, a fellow villager. It is alleged Marume took Dominic to Tugwi River and burnt the herbs. Marume, according to the prosecution, went into a trance after inhaling the smoke.
When he emerged from the trance, Dominic had disappeared. His wife made a police report leading to Marume's arrest.

Spook House

190 Mutare Road
Citroen Road Harare
Description:

Clive is a self-taught chef QBE (qualified by experience.) I’ve known the family perhaps three decades and he has always had a love of food: originally eating the stuff, which early on translated into the preparation of good square meals for family and friends.

The family went professional years back. Bronwyn trained under Prof Mike Farrell, locally, interning and working at Meikles Hotel and Inn on the Vumba.

Clive and Tracey, helped by various other relatives and in-laws, ran Hellenics amazingly successfully, then moved nearer their Greendale home, opening The Office, at Msasa. About a year ago the lease expired and they took over the then empty Spook House.

It’s softly, softly catchee monkey and, maybe nine months on, the main building and “gardens” are still very much a work in progress.

But if you don’t mind eating and drinking on a building site and a widely reputedly haunted one at that, Spook House may well be the place for you.

It was certainly pumping fairly early last Friday lunchtime. A friend seemed to know most of the punters and most of them sounded as if they were regulars, to the point of being permanent fixtures. - Extracted from Dusty Miller - The Independent. (23rd April 2010)

Group Capacity: 20 + people

I'm going to check this out = who knows what i might find!

Shock muti confession

From George Maponga in Masvingo (the Herald)

A Chivi man has sensationally admitted in court that he cut off the private parts of a fellow villager and mixed them with herbs to make a potion to sprinkle in a friend’s maize field in a bid to boost yields.

Self-proclaimed traditional healer Stanley Mutatisi (39) of Batorava Village under Chief Mandyangove said he believed the potion would ensure a bumper harvest.

Mutatisi and three alleged accomplices were arrested last week on charges of murdering and severing Jacob Ganyire’s genitals.

The other accused are Tafirei Tachiona (68), Nicholas Sarireni (35) and Robson Batorava, all of Batorava Village.

In his warned and cautioned statement to the police, which was confirmed at the Masvingo Magistrates’ Court on Thursday, Mutatisi said he burnt Ganyire’s genitals and mixed the ash with something else to make a potion that he sprayed in a friend’s field at night.

He claimed the potion would result in bumper yields.

The four, who appeared before Masvingo provincial magistrate Mr Timeon Makunde facing murder charges, were not asked to plead.

They were remanded in custody to May 13. Mr Makunde advised the quartet to apply for bail at the High Court.

A passerby stumbled upon Ganyire’s body, which was in an advanced state of decomposition, a week after the alleged murder.

It is alleged that on April 17 the deceased was drinking beer with the suspects at a homestead in Batorava Village.

He took his leave and headed for his home at around 9pm, the State says.

The four allegedly followed Ganyire and waylaid him near a church in the village. The court was told that the four grabbed their victim by the neck and strangled and stabbed him several times with a knife.

Making contact

Sorry for the silence I have been having Internet and power problems- again! 

A friend of ours who is a motorbike fanatic and far from the sort of person you would expect to believe in the supernatural told me of two occurrences of physic activity he experienced.

The first was when his mother died.  He was away at the time and on returning to the house some days later he told me that he was sitting in his usual chair in the drawing room when his mother appeared to him and held a long conversation informing him that she was happy and no longer in pain.

His second experience came some time later.
He has always been a very kind person and looked after young people who were not having a happy family life.
One such young man was  wild but kind hearted and appreciated what he was given  in the way a lifestyle.
A week before he was killed in a senseless car accident he came to see me and it had been almost as if he knew he was not longer on this earth.  We talked and said a lot about life that day.

After his death he appeared to my motorcycle friend.  Again saying he was content.
Was this a figment of my firnd's imagination - or did these people appear to him and talk to him?

‘Goblin’ attacks schoolboy

Sunday Mail Reporter

A THIRTEEN-YEAR-OLD Visitation Makumbe High schoolboy cut short his studies in February after he was afflicted by a strange condition that causes him to physically fight an invisible “monster”.

Confirming the boy’s condition, Visitation Makumbe High School resident priest Father Barnabas Mukumba last week said the boy initially complained of stomach pains that were followed by bouts of unconsciousness.

The Form One student was described as intelligent and scored four units in last year’s Grade Seven national examinations.

The school authorities believe that the invisible “monster” could be a “goblin”.

Although the school authorities could not confirm it, the boy’s parents say their child experienced a “transfiguration” on February 10, the night before a major fight with the invisible opponent caused his body to glow.

“The boy would complain of stomach pains that would end in him being unconsciousness. At times he would be taunted by the invisible monster which would force him to scream and use his hands to fight it.

“One could actually see the boy simulating a fight with something or someone we could not see.

“On the first occasion, the boy claimed to have seen a short-bearded man wearing a black cloak. During his initial contact with the invisible creature, he would scream and try to ward off the invisible attacker and we later taught him to pray as a way to fight it off,” said Fr Mukumba.

He said the school authorities initially tried to assist him through psychological counselling until they eventually handed over the matter to the priests for spiritual guidance.

“Together with other priests we took him through spiritual counselling and discernment. I initially suspected the boy was playing tricks so that he could go home and be with his family.

“After further probing we realised the problems were greater than what we had anticipated. We later invited the parents and they then asked us to assist him through prayer and use of holy water,” said Fr Mukumba.

The boy would experience relief after prayers and on realising this, the school authorities arranged for him to stay with the priests.

“On one occasion he screamed during lesson time and said a short old man was trying to forcefully take his pen away. He struggled with his invisible tormentor for some time until he became unconscious.

“He is an intelligent young boy who achieved four units at Grade Seven,” said the deputy school head.

The boy’s father (name withheld to protect the minor’s identity) told The Sunday Mail from his Chitungwiza home that he believed his son had spiritual powers that enabled him to fight goblins.

“The boy is gifted spiritually and that enables him to fight evil spirits. There were numerous reports from his school and we asked the priests to assist him.

“They have been praying for him until February when we decided to withdraw him from school because he was attracting unnecessary attention from the other pupils,” said the boy’s father.

Witch hunter or not?

Fake goblins give away bogus Tsikamutanda
Chinhoyi Bureau - the Herald

TWO fake goblins left in the blankets in which a witch hunter — Tsikamutanda — was sleeping in, after allegedly exorcising a house in Banket have led to his arrest.

Morris Mbofana (24) is now facing three counts of fraud after allegedly approaching three people claiming that he could rid their houses of evil spirits.

He allegedly forced his victims to sign a piece of paper as proof that they had willingly paid him.

In the first incident, Mbofana went to Fatima Tauro’s house at Mimosa Farm in Banket and identified himself as a traditional healer who had come to exorcise the house of goblins.

She consented to his proposals to cleanse the house at a fee of US$7 and three chickens. He allegedly removed some hairy objects with beads from Tauro’s daughter’s stomach and another from a clay pot and told her that the objects were goblins.

Mbofana indicated that there was a major cleansing ceremony that required an ox as payment. He demanded two goats that he had seen in the pen before threatening her with serious harm if she failed to pay.

In the second incident, he approached Miriam Chiringidza on March 5 and told her that he wanted to remove evil spirits, which were haunting her father’s family.

They went to Chiringidza’s house where she indicated that she had brought a traditional healer to exorcise the house of evil spirits.

Her father was reluctant to pay the US$23 that Mbofana was demanding. However, his two daughters offered to pay the money. He allegedly removed a hairy object similar to the one he removed in the first incident. He, however, indicated that the money they had paid was not commensurate with the work he had done.

Mbofana demanded two blankets, 2kg flour, 4kg sugar, two bars of laundry soap and two 750ml bottles of cooking oil.

He allegedly threatened the family with harm if they failed to meet his demand.

He again forced them to sign a paper declaring that they had not been induced to pay him.

Witchcraft in a modern world.

Woman dies of suspected runyoka


By Walter Nyamukondiwa in Chinhoyi

A Chinhoyi woman recently died in mysterious circumstances after complaining of severe stomach pains and later acting like a fish before spending two nights in a bathtub filled with water.

Tamari Seremwa (37) of Kamedza Primary School in Gambura Village under Chief Magonde in Makonde District spent last Saturday night and the whole of Sunday in water.
She would intermittently gulp the water and then spew it out like a fish.
Hospital medical superintendent Dr Collett Mawire confirmed the strange incident.
She only came out of the tub after Chief Magonde reportedly summoned her to his homestead to discuss her predicament.
However, she did not make it as she died soon after being discharged from hospital.
Seremwa’s death has set tongues wagging over what really happened.
A woman who saw Seremwa when she was at the hospital said the latter had confessed to being intimate with a man who had been "fixed" by his wife. The practice is known as runyoka or "fencing" in many circles.
"She would say the man’s mother had warned her not to hang around the man indicating that he had been fixed with runyoka by his wife.
"She regretted not listening to the man’s mother," the woman said.
Seremwa, the woman said, was complaining of suffering from extreme heat and dehydration whenever she got out of the water.
Runyoka is a "safety lock" applied on both men and women to enforce fidelity.
It is said that a person "fences" his/her spouse so that they do not have sexual relations with another person. Indulging in intercourse results in inexplicable illnesses that normally lead to death.
A nurse at the hospital said: "We had to run around to get water after commiserating with the pain that she was going through.
"It was a strange sight that we failed to diagnose but we had to try but we had to help her all the same."
She said whenever water levels in the tub were low, Seremwa would splash water all over her body and writhe like a fish out of its natural habitat. At the time of writing, the body was awaiting a post-mortem.
"It is an issue with circumstances that we cannot really comprehend in medical terms but which has caught the attention of everyone," Dr Mawire said.

Tales from Zimbabwe

Tales of Witchcraft Abound in Zimbabwe Many blame their personal troubles on supernatural influence
Cole Mallard
Chihota, Zimbabwe 05 March 2010

“When she came to barter with rural folk the trouble started. One of our neighbors requested [sugar] on credit and she refused. Before the end of the day she was bleeding from the nose, mouth and ears.”

In Zimbabwe, witchcraft is still common in rural areas. Hardly a week passes without a local report or newspaper story on the practice. For example, police recently cornered a man at the Mbare Mbare bus terminal, after they discovered a live cobra snake in his luggage. He told officers the reptile was one of his witching tools
About two weeks later, some women were discovered wandering naked in the early hours of the morning near Highfield. After being confronted by locals, they claimed they’d “flown” from a rural location during one of several night time escapades. But they said something went wrong and the spell wore off, before they could return to their original location.
Four years ago, the government proclaimed that supernatural powers do exist. But it says it still prohibits the use of magic if it harms someone.
Many Zimbabweans, especially those who grow up in rural areas, find it difficult to dismiss the existence of witchcraft. Tendai Manyimo,30, lives in Chitandara. He explained that his wife is a vendor and that her face became contorted after she was bewitched by rival vendors. He claims she’d been running a successful sugar sale venture:
“When she came to barter with rural folk the trouble started. One of our neighbors requested [sugar] on credit and she refused. Before the end of the day she was bleeding from the nose, mouth and ears,” he says.

Manyimo said a faith healer cured her.
David Nyemba, 77, from Mazhambe village believes he was bewitched by his aunt while he was employed as a driver in the city three years ago. He says a turning point came in his life when he quit his job in order to return to village life:
“I was the darling of the company management ,” he says, “and I did not realize I could have some hidden enemies.”
“My aunt pretended to like me and gave me money to spend. My instinct told me to refuse, but I went against my better judgment and spent it. I was demoted and harassed constantly by my superiors [which] never used to happen. I got the answers after visiting a traditional healer.”

Margaret Mashayamombe,83, is a traditional healer in Mutenda village, Chihota. She says witchcraft is used in families for revenge and spite.
Mashayamombe also says the frequency of recent reports on witchcraft indicates forces of good are triumphing over evil. She says Zimbabweans should respect traditions by performing rituals favored by their forefathers.
“Life was okay,” she asserts, “until some over-ambitious individuals went outside the country to get advice from traditional healers there on how to get rich quickly. That is where the problem began, because they came back with remedies that are harmful [to] others. All this is now being exposed due to the powers of the spirits of our forefathers.”
Sarudzai Nyota, 33, a member of the apostolic faith sect, says she believes the country would be better off without elevating the supernatural. Sarudzai says people should turn to God and seek salvation through Jesus Christ, as a way of overcoming being susceptible to witchcraft.
[Nyota says] The Christian church believes there’s only a “good” spirit, meaning what is called the Holy Spirit, whereas witchcraft has origins in Satanism.

This interesting story was reported in July of last year

Ruwa Murder - Boy Accuses Father of Witchcraft
8 July 2009

Harare — The 17-year-old Ruwa boy charged with killing his parents in cold blood last year has, in turn, accused his father of using him as a "goblin" to sustain his "mysterious" business empire.
The teenager made the startling claims when his trial opened before High Court judge Justice Tendayi Uchena on Monday. The boy allegedly gunned down his father and mother at their Ruwa home in April last year.
It is alleged that he shot his father in the head before heading to the bedroom where he opened fire on his mother who had been awakened by the gunshots.
According to reports, the father had, on the fateful day, woken up the boy at around 3am so that he could study. The teenager pleaded not guilty to two counts of murder.
In his defence outline, the boy's lawyer, Advocate Thabani Mpofu, claimed that during the study sessions, which were closed to other family members, his father would burn some roots and unspecified substances. The burning would invariably lead to some "body malaise and dizziness", reads the defence outline.
Adv Mpofu further submitted that over the weekends preceding the fateful day, the boy would spend around 19 hours in an unconscious state that only his father could break.

"Such was the accused's strange routine. The accused is now positively aware that he was being used as a goblin by his father in order to sustain and support his mysterious and vast business interests," Adv Mpofu said.
The boy's father ran a security company, among other businesses. However, the psychiatric report that forms part of the defence established that the boy suffered from temporal lobe epilepsy, fits affecting half of the brain.
"His conduct that morning was not voluntary and he committed the acts he is charged with without conscious knowledge. His actions were brought about by either the temporal lobe epilepsy or (the) spiritual world to which he had descended into," Adv Mpofu said.

Key State witness Mr Admire Musasa (24), who is related to the boy, yesterday gave his account of the events he witnessed early in the morning after the shooting. He said at around 5am a maid came to his bedroom and woke him up.
"She was looking worried and asked me to come with her. I got dressed and followed her to the dining room. I saw my uncle (the boy's father) seated on his chair with his head facing down on the table with his books," he said.
"I observed a white substance coming out from the back of his head. I shook him, but he did not respond," he testified. Mr Musasa said he then went up stairs with the intention of informing his aunt about "the horrible scene".
When he got to his aunt's bedroom, Mr Musasa said he found the door wide open and observed that there was disorder in the room.
He then went to his other aunt's bedroom and informed her before going to the teenager's bedroom to report the matter. Mr Musasa said after Ms Spiwe Chakuvinga, the younger sister to the boy's mother, entered the bedroom, she came out looking very worried.
"Her face had completely changed. Together we went downstairs. She also shook her brother-in-law in the same way I had done," he said.
While in the dining room, Mr Musasa said they heard the maid identified only as Precious shouting at the top of her voice: "Amai vapfurwawo futi (Mother has also been shot dead)."
The trial is now being held in open court following a successful application by the defence. Last month the court barred the Press from covering the proceedings, saying only close relatives were allowed into the courtroom because the suspect was a minor.
In terms of the law, court proceedings involving minor children ought to be conducted in camera.
However, Adv Mpofu argued there was no law that automatically obliged such proceedings to be held in camera.
He cited several case laws to support his contention, which was opposed by the State.
After considering arguments presented by both the defence and State counsels, the court ruled in favour of the defence.
However, in terms of the law it is the defence that can apply to have proceedings in such cases held in camera and not the State.
Adv Mpofu is being instructed by Ms Sharon Maphosa of Mawere and Sibanda law firm.

Ghost in Bulawayo

Earlier this month the following article appeared concerning unusual activity in Bulawayo.

Residents in Zimbabwe's sprawling city of Bulawayo are living in fear of a ghost that is reportedly wreaking havoc in the suburb.In separate interviews with
The Zim Diaspora yestersday, residents described how they have seen a huge ball of fire which usually burns in the air.They said the ghost has literally imposed a "curfew" in some parts of Mabuthweni suburb near
Mpopoma as residents are now scared of using the route patronised by the ghost.
Residents claimed that the ghost was very intimidating as it often follow residents who pass through "curfewed" places.
Another resident said: “At about 12 midnight last week I was up and about from my girlfriend's place when I saw a big ball of fire from a distance. Upon getting closer I noticed that the fire was burning on air, I could feel my hair rising. I have always thought those things were only seen on Stephen King’s movies but they are real.”
At times, they claimed, they woke up to find their property such as flower vases having been moved out of the house.“
After work, I usually passby a local beergarden to catch-up with my friends over a glass of beer before proceeding to my house in Mpopoma. Last week I was confronted by a ghost which kept on running behind me. It was so scary. I am now so scared in passing through that area again,” said Mr Nigel Ngoma.
“One of my friends sometime in December last year was injured while trying to flee the same ghost,” he added.
Another resident, Mrs Theresia Ngulube who lives near the bushy area patronised by the ghost, said she got the shock of her life last week when she found her flower vases having been moved out of her house during the night to the gate.“
I usually wake up at 5 am to do my household chores, however, last week was a different morning. I could not believe my eyes, upon opening the door, I noticed that all the vases were not there. At first, I thought that they had been stolen because there are a lot of thieves here,” she said.“
Then my husband went out to investigate only to find the vases outside the gate,” she said.“As I was relating the ordeal to one of my neighbours, she also told me that a simillar thing happened to her a few days ago, although she did not tell anyone. We then realized that something was amiss as we kept on hearing people saying there was ghost at our neighbour and from that point we were convinced that it was the ghost,” she said.
Many believe the ghost could be that of a local man who was brutally murdered at the same spot in 2008.“I certainly believe that it is him because that was a gruesome murder and at times it could be the work of his family who are at pains over the way their son died,” said Ms Nomalungelo Dlamini.
A ghost has been defined as the disembodied spirit or soul of a deceased person, although in popular usage the term refers only to the apparition of such a person. Often described as immaterial and partly transparent, ghosts are reported to haunt particular locations or people that they were associated with in life or at time of death.
Article courtesy; The Zimdiaspora

Ghostly Motel

High above Lake Kariba there is a motel long used by travellers as a watering hole on the long journey from Harare to Kariba and an overnight stopping point for visitors to Zambia, Mana Pools and the hunting areas on the Zambezi River.

While living in Zambia I often stayed overnight and the atmosphere in the bar and the food in the restaurant were always good.

However there is one room in this motel that is haunted.

It overlooks the valley below with a picture window over a magnificent view - the best room in the house! But the presence there is evil. I have purposely asked for this room on a few occasions - just to see if my mind and my mood played any part in the feeling I experienced - but each time i felt the same cold breeze and heard the same taps on the wall. On one occasion my parents occupied the room next door and i woke them up to see if there was anything wrong - they were fast asleep and had heard nothing!

Perhaps some wounded hunter had died in this room after being brought back from an unsuccessful hunt - wounded by an elephant or buffalo. Perhaps the spirit of one who loved the valley and wishes to see it again from this vantage point occupies the room?

I have tried to find a reason behind the coldness (even on the hottest nights) and the tapping but no one admits to there being anything in the haunted room.

Michael Jackson's ghost seen in Zimbabwe?

Jadyn Cassidy j.cassidy@allnewsweb.com
A reader has informed us of a bizarre story involving a sighting of the ghost of deceased singer, Michael Jackson, that is spreading through the African nation of Zimbabwe.
The sighting of Jackson's ghost occurred at the St Mary's Mission School,a Catholic institution, in Zimbabwe's capital of Harare. Allegedly a group of students aged from twelve to fourteen years were sitting along with some of the nuns that work at St Mary's and watching a nativity play that was organised after school hours.
Children dressed as Mary, Joseph and the Wise Men were on stage when suddenly the lights went out. Then ghost-like being appeared on stage waving a white-gloved hand. The terrified students emptied the hall along with the supervising nuns.
Almost all the students later agreed that it was Michael Jackson that they saw' 'It definitely was MJ' noted Theresa, a student at the school. 'It was his face and his clothes. he smiled and waived at us'
'I saw it too' commented Sister Maria 'it was not human and must have been a spirit. The students later told me it was Michael Jackson'.
News of the otherworldly event spread through the area and some interested locals even visited the hall in the hope that they too might see Jackson's ghost. Belief in ghosts is widespread in Zimbabwe.