Deadly rituals ruin wrong person: Chief Mutasa orders Mozambican sangoma to reverse his revenge on Mutare man.

MUTARE — In the heart of Manicaland, where the ancient hills whisper secrets of the past, a chilling tale of misplaced vengeance and spiritual warfare has unfolded. Chief Mutasa has ordered a Mozambican traditional healer, now based in Dangamvura, to undo a curse mistakenly cast on the wrong man.

This follows a startling confession by a Hobhouse woman, who admitted to bewitching the victim in retaliation for her missing gold mill — an act that left him suffering relentless spiritual torment. The revelation came when the dispute resurfaced in Chief Mutasa’s court, after both families had earlier been instructed to seek further spiritual guidance.   Follow us on WhatsApp

The case first arose when Barbra Kembo of Toronto, accused Stella Mwakasikeni of targeting her son, Blessing Kembo, whom she suspected of stealing the gold mill. Barbra had told the court that her son’s unexplained illness began after Mwakasikeni’s property went missing.

She said Blessing initially developed severe abdominal pains, and was taken to hospital, where doctors diagnosed appendix complications. He underwent an operation and was discharged after the affected part was removed.

“My son was ill and doctors said he had appendix problems. He was operated on, and something was removed. He was discharged and got better, and we thought the problem had been resolved,” she said during the earlier hearing.

However, shortly after recovering, Blessing, reportedly began complaining of fresh pains, particularly around the area where tubes had been inserted during the operation. The family rushed him to Victoria Chitepo Provincial Hospital, where he was admitted and underwent another procedure.

Barbra told the court that while the family was still searching for answers, relatives informed her that Mwakasikeni had allegedly confessed privately that she was responsible for the young man’s suffering because she believed he had stolen her gold mill.

“My brother later told our stepmother that Mwakasikeni had confided in him that she was the one who had ‘fixed’ my son traditionally. She claimed she did it because he had stolen her gold mill,” said Barbra, adding that she confronted her son over the accusation, but he strongly denied ever stealing the machine or being involved in its disappearance.

When the matter first came before the court, Mwakasikeni admitted consulting traditional healers after the theft, but insisted she had targeted an unknown criminal, and did not know who had taken her property. She explained that after the mill disappeared, she travelled with healers to Chipinge and later to Mozambique in a desperate effort to recover the machine or expose the culprit.

But as the pressure mounted and the young man’s health deteriorated, Mwakasikeni later made a dramatic turnaround, confessing that Blessing’s name had indeed been raised during consultations with a Mozambican healer.

“Indeed, my gold mill was stolen, and when I went to Mozambique, the traditional healer showed me the thief in a mirror. I saw a silhouette that resembled Blessing, though I did not see his face. The healer mentioned Blessing’s name, and that is when I knew he was the one who had stolen it. So I let the healer proceed with the revenge plan,” she told Chief Mutasa’s court.

Mwakasikeni went further and acknowledged that something harmful may have been spiritually inflicted on the young man.

“The traditional healer is currently in Dangamvura, and is the only one who can reverse what he did. It is true that something was done,” she said in a confession that angered members of Blessing’s family, who insisted the young man had suffered for months because of false accusations.

Blessing also addressed the court and repeated his earlier denial, saying he had no connection to the theft.

“I told the court before that I do not even drive and I do not have a driving licence. I never stole anything. If I had stolen it, I would have already confessed because what I have gone through is painful. There is no reason for me to keep quiet if I was guilty,” he said, adding that he was deeply hurt to learn that his name had allegedly been used to justify revenge rituals.

Barbra maintained that her son was innocent and said what now mattered most was restoring his health.

Chief Mutasa criticised the use of spiritual retaliation without proper proof and warned communities against rushing to punish suspects outside formal processes.

“You admitted that the boy’s name was given and action was taken before the truth was established. This is why people must not rush to punish suspects through spiritual means,” he said, adding that many innocent people end up suffering because of rumours, assumptions and fear-driven accusations.

Chief Mutasa then issued a fresh directive aimed at resolving the dispute and helping Blessing by ordering both families to travel together to Dangamvura, where the healer was reportedly visiting relatives, so that the alleged curse could be reversed and the truth further examined.

“You must go together and meet this healer. If something was done, let it be undone. After that, this court will hear what remains of the matter,” ruled Chief Mutasa.

The Dark Art of Retaliation: African Traditions and the ‘Back to Sender’ Phenomenon

The harrowing ordeal of Blessing Kembo is not an isolated incident. It lifts the veil on a deeply entrenched, yet highly controversial aspect of African traditional healing: the practice of spiritual retaliation, often colloquially referred to as “back to sender” rituals.

In many parts of Southern Africa, including Zimbabwe and Mozambique, traditional healers—known as sangomas or n’angas—hold significant sway. They are revered as intermediaries between the physical world and the ancestral realm. While their primary role is to heal ailments, provide spiritual guidance, and protect families from malevolent forces, there exists a darker, more punitive side to their craft.

When individuals suffer a loss, such as a theft or an unexplained tragedy, the formal justice system is sometimes bypassed in favour of traditional justice. The belief is that the ancestors, guided by a powerful sangoma, can exact a more immediate and severe punishment on the perpetrator.

The “back to sender” ritual is predicated on the idea of returning negative energy or harm to its source. If someone has stolen property or cast an evil eye, the victim consults a healer to redirect that misfortune back to the culprit. However, as the Mutare case vividly illustrates, this practice is fraught with peril.

The methods used to identify the guilty party are highly subjective. In Mwakasikeni’s case, the Mozambican healer used a mirror—a common divination tool known as shopera. The client gazes into the mirror or a bowl of water, guided by the healer’s incantations, until a vision appears. Mwakasikeni admitted she only saw a “silhouette” and relied on the healer to supply Blessing’s name. This reliance on suggestion and vague imagery frequently leads to the misidentification of suspects.

Mozambique, in particular, has a reputation across the region for harbouring sangomas with exceptionally potent, and sometimes aggressive, spiritual powers. It is not uncommon for Zimbabweans to cross the border, seeking out these healers when they feel local n’angas are not strong enough to handle their grievances. The belief is that Mozambican magic is older, less diluted, and more ruthless.

A Trail of Misplaced Curses

The dangers of these revenge rituals are well-documented in recent history, with numerous cases of innocent people falling victim to misplaced curses.

In a bizarre incident in Ruwa, a town near Harare, a traditional healer known as Sekuru Muzura gained notoriety for using bees to “catch” thieves. Clients who had been robbed would pay the healer to send a swarm of bees to attack the culprit until the stolen goods were returned. However, the practice quickly devolved into chaos. Several individuals were attacked by the bees despite having solid alibis, leading to violent clashes between the victims and the healer. It became apparent that the rituals were either flawed or being manipulated to settle personal scores.

Similarly, Chief Mutasa’s court is no stranger to the devastating consequences of witchcraft accusations. Just recently, the court presided over a case where a “mystic message” branded two siblings as a witch and a wizard, blaming them for the death of their elder brother. The accusation tore the family apart, leading to public humiliation and threats of violence. The Chief had to intervene, firmly counselling the family that medical explanations, not superstition, were needed to understand the brother’s passing.

These incidents highlight a critical flaw in the “back to sender” philosophy: it assumes the absolute infallibility of the healer. When a curse is unleashed, it is a blind weapon. If the target is incorrect, the spiritual attack does not simply dissipate; it latches onto the innocent, causing immense physical and psychological suffering.

The psychological toll on the victims is profound. Being labelled a thief or a witch in a close-knit community carries a heavy stigma. The victim is often ostracised, and the stress of the accusation can manifest in severe physical symptoms, further convincing the accusers that the curse is working. Blessing Kembo’s recurring abdominal pains, despite medical intervention, underscore how deeply intertwined the physical and spiritual realms are in the minds of those involved.

The Clash of Two Systems

The Mutare incident also brings into sharp focus the ongoing tension between traditional beliefs and modern legal frameworks. Zimbabwe’s Witchcraft Suppression Act was originally designed to outlaw the practice of witchcraft and the accusing of others of being witches. While the law has evolved, the underlying challenge remains: how to regulate a system of justice that operates entirely outside the bounds of empirical evidence.

Traditional courts, presided over by Chiefs and headmen, play a vital role in maintaining social harmony in rural and peri-urban areas. They are often more accessible and culturally resonant than the formal magistrate courts. However, as Chief Mutasa rightly pointed out, they must guard against becoming arenas for “fear-driven accusations.”

“This is why people must not rush to punish suspects through spiritual means,” the Chief warned. His directive for both families to travel together to Dangamvura to reverse the curse is a pragmatic approach. It acknowledges the reality of the families’ beliefs while attempting to mitigate the harm caused by them. It forces the accuser to confront the consequences of her actions and provides a pathway for the victim to seek spiritual, and perhaps psychological, closure.

As Blessing Kembo awaits the reversal of the curse that has plagued his life, his story serves as a stark cautionary tale. It is a reminder that in the pursuit of justice, the tools we choose matter. When vengeance is outsourced to the unseen world, the collateral damage is often borne by the innocent, leaving scars that neither modern medicine nor traditional apologies can easily erase. The dark art of retaliation, it seems, is a blade without a hilt—dangerous to the one who wields it, and deadly to whoever stands in its path.