A CHIMANIMANI couple has revealed that in their pursuit to acquire quick riches, they caused their 17-year-old child’s mental illness.
Thomas Mashingaidze and Enesi Mutendadzamera made the spine-chilling confessions last week on Saturday when they appeared before Chief Saurombe’s court.
They were facing charges of defiling the area by engaging in ritual practices. The two accused each other of being the brains behind the child’s suffering.
The court heard that five years ago, the couple’s son (name withheld) was forced to chew off his mother’s finger and swallow it as part of the money-spinning rituals.
The couple has business interests and properties in Chimanimani, Beatrice, Harare, Norton, Nyanyadzi and Nhedziwa.
In fact, the couple had become the envy of town due to their lavish lifestyle until Mashingaidze started dating and marrying other women.
The heartbroken Mutendadzamera could not stomach the betrayal and let the cat out of the bag on how they were using black magic to acquire their wealth.
Mashinaidze has since moved to Beatrice due to the humiliation brought about by the expose. “Mutendadzamera is bitter that her husband is now spending the little they have left from their ill-gotten wealth on other women,” said Chief Saurombe.
He added: “Their fortunes have since taken a knock due to Mashingaidze’s reckless behaviour. Since the whole issue has now been exposed, we expect a riches to rags tale from this couple.
Thomas confirmed using his son for the rituals but he says his wife convinced him to do so. He also claims that Mutendadzamera’s father initiated the whole process.
Last week I had to send my assistants to Beatrice to drag Mashingaidze to my court,” said Chief Saurombe.
The couple’s son and Mutendadzamera’s father are expected to be in attendance when Chief Saurombe hands down his verdict on July 27.
“The woman’s father has a case to answer. He is supposed to furnish us with more details of his involvement in this whole saga,” said the traditional leader.
Meanwhile, a Chimanimani woman who forced her grandchild to breastfeed a snake in a suspected case of witchcraft was found guilty of the offense and ordered to pay a fine of three cattle.
Dalice Dzemura recently appeared before Chief Saurombe as her granddaughter, Portia Dzemura, accused her of witchcraft. Manica Post
