Grandmother Murdered by Stepson, Now Her Avenging Spirit Demands 13 Cattle

In 2014, a grandmother from Mutoko was found dead on her family’s farm, her stepson accused of r@p€ and murder.

The case was never reported.

Now, her spirit is said to be haunting her granddaughter, demanding 13 cattle as justice for a crime the family tried to bury.

The woman, Mbuya Susan Madhuku Chomusina, was 72 years old. She lived at Matetsa Farm with her husband Elias and his two wives — Susan, the senior, and Annah, the junior.

Relatives say tensions had long simmered in the polygamous household, but no one expected the tragedy that followed.

On the morning of 24 September 2014, her body was discovered in a secluded part of the farm.

Family members say she had left her hut the previous evening and never returned.

Suspicion quickly fell on Simon Chomusina, her stepson and Elias’s son from the junior wife.

Relatives claim he was the last person seen near her hut and that he vanished shortly after her death.

Ephraim Chomusina, her biological son, says the family suspected foul play from the beginning.

But instead of reporting the matter, they were persuaded to stay silent.

“My mother and her co-wife were sisters. Our uncle, their brother, told us not to report the case. He said the suspects would give him three cattle, but they never did.

“So my mother was buried like nothing had happened,” Ephraim said.

For nearly a decade, the family lived with the silence. But recently, Ephraim’s daughter, Josephine Chomusina, began suffering unexplained pain and spiritual torment.

The family believes she is being haunted by the spirit of her grandmother — demanding justice in the form of 13 cattle.

“My daughter is in pain every day. The spirit says it will not rest until it is paid. It says my brother killed our mother with four other men,” Ephraim said.

Josephine, now 29, has pleaded with the family to act.

“This spirit is hurting me. I just want peace. I want the family to come together and pay what is being asked. My body is always in pain,” she said.

Laiza Chomusina, another daughter of the deceased, confirmed the haunting and the demand.

“Our mother was murdered while our father was still alive. The case was buried. Now the spirit wants 13 cattle from those responsible,” she said.

In many Zimbabwean traditions, cattle are used to appease avenging spirits.

The number 13, the family says, reflects the severity of the crime and the number of people believed to be involved.

Faced with growing pressure, the family eventually reported the case to police in Harare. It was later transferred to Rushinga, where Simon is believed to be hiding.

No arrest has been made.

Attempts to reach Simon for comment were unsuccessful.

Family members say he has refused to speak about the incident since 2014.

Rangarirai Muranga, the maternal uncle accused of blocking the report in exchange for cattle, denied the allegation — but acknowledged the haunting.

“It is true my sister was murdered, and her spirit is now speaking through her granddaughter. I am helping the family resolve it. But I was never promised cattle to keep quiet,” he said.

A local elder, who asked not to be named, said the family must act quickly.

“Ngozi does not wait. If cattle are not paid, more suffering will follow,” he said.

As the family wrestles with guilt, fear, and spiritual unrest, one thing is clear: the spirit of Mbuya Susan is not at peace.

Whether the 13 cattle will be paid or the truth finally brought to light – remains to be seen.

-kwayedza