IN a strange twist of events, a witch-hunter popularly known as tsikamutanda from Tsholotsho, Matabeleland North province, ran out of his “magical powers” after he fell seriously ill shortly before a cleansing ceremony he was scheduled to lead on Tuesday, forcing the much-hyped ceremony to be cancelled.
Nqobizitha Moyo (27), who has been conducting cleansing ceremonies in a number of villages, is fighting for his life after suspected poisoning.
His illness was a mystery to the people who had reportedly come from all over to witness the cleansing ceremony.
The head of Ntulani Village, Vincent Hadebe, was shocked when Moyo, who was supposed to lead a cleansing ceremony in the area, failed to show up.
“On Tuesday morning, Moyo’s assistants called us to say that he was unable to attend the cleansing ceremony because he had fallen ill after eating mopane worms. They said that he was vomiting blood and they feared for his life.
“We were hoping that his presence would help us deal with the challenges faced by both community members and students with knee handicaps, but sadly, the only person we struggled to find was attacked,” said Hadebe.
Hadebe said that a number of people had been invited to the cleansing ceremony, including Chief Magama and other traditional leaders.
“We had invited a number of villagers, including Chief Magama and other headmen, to witness the cleansing ceremony, as we have faced various challenges in recent months.
“We have postponed the event, and we hope that Moyo recovers so that he can continue his work,” said a distraught Hadebe.
A villager who also spoke on condition of anonymity said whatever the cause of Moyo’s illness, it was clear that he would not be able to perform the cleansing ceremony that day.
“The people were disappointed, but they understood. They knew that Moyo is a powerful prophet and that he needed to heal before he could continue his work,” said the villager.
Moyo basked in the spotlight after being invited to Ntulani Village to help solve the mysterious knee ailment that was afflicting pupils at Magama Secondary School.
During the previous cleansing ceremony, Moyo recovered a variety of witchcraft artefacts from different homes, including a baboon, monkey, snakes, animal heads, and strange cloths.
He also healed several pupils who were suffering from the mysterious knee ailment.
In 2021, he was invited to Mtshina Village in Tsholotsho where he recovered the body of a child who had been exhumed from her grave and placed in a barn.
When contacted for comment, Moyo’s phone number was unreachable. B Metro
