TWO self-styled sangomas have been detaining two brothers at their shrine since December last year.
Sekuru Shumba, whose real name is William Chinyeruke, and Sekuru Ngara, whose real name is Andrew Ngondonga, have been detaining Guard Ndofa, 65, and Amos Ndofa, 64, at their shrine for what they call cleansing ceremonies.
Guard, a Banket farmer, and his younger brother Amos, have been selling cattle and making payments to Sekuru Shumba and Sekuru Ngara as fines for allegedly comm!tting several customary offences.
Amos is a retired sergeant in the Zimbabwe National Army and has been surrendering all his pension to the sangomas since last year.
Guard and Amos are reported to have advised their families that the two self-styled sangomas have been threatening them with unspecified spiritual action if they return home without completing their cleansing ceremonies.
Guard and Amos’ daughters – Blessing, Debra, Dephine and Priscila – teamed up with their brother Tinotenda and confronted Sekurus Ngara and Shumba over the so-called cleansing ceremonies.
When source arrived at the shrine, the crew was asked to wash their hands, reveal their totems and remove their shoes before entering the shrine.
Priscila confronted Sekuru Ngara and said:
“Murikuda kuparadza hupenyu hwevabereki vedu nemhaka yei pano? Matare rudzii amurikuvaitisa zvekutadza kudzokera kumba, muchivaripisa kasingaperi kuti vasare vasisina kana chinhu.
“You ordered them to disown their families because we refused to obey your fake cleansing ceremonies meant to make our fathers poor.
“Anababa vedu vanzwa nekuripiswa mombe nembudzi zvekuzadza danga muchivati vakakanganisa kuroora mudzimai wemutupo umwechete navo, kuti vana venyu vakashora matare nezvimwewo zvakawandawanda pano.
“Makafuratidza mwoyo yanababa vedu kuvaita mazeeretsi evanhu, kushandirwa rudzii kusingaperi zvekuti munhu haachatenderwa kuenda kumhuri yake asi dzenyu dzichidya?”
The family team damaged some of the traditional pots at the shrine.
Amos told source that Sekuru Ngara and Shumba advised him to live at the shrine until he finished undergoing the cleansing ceremonies which had cast a dark spell over his family.
“I have not been returning home because I am undergoing a cleansing ceremony as commanded,” said Amos.
“My children are against this and I saw it better to disown them since they are not respecting our ancestors and me as their father.
“They do not know what is causing their marriages to fail but they do not want to stand with us in respecting our ancestors according to custom and as directed by Sekuru Ngara and Shumba,” said Amos.
Priscila told source that Sekuru Shumba stayed with his father for two years.
When source arrived at the shrine Guard had driven Sekuru Shumba to Mazowe to meet some gold panners.
Sekuru Ngara denied detaining Guard and Amos saying the two know the importance of their stay at their shrine.
“We never detained Guard and Amos here.
“They are grown ups to know what is good and bad for them and we never tied them with any strings so that they do not return to their families.
“The two know the importance of their stay at this place but their families do not agree with them.”
Source H-Metro
