Rich auntie’s success sparks witchcraft allegations in Mutasa village

A WIFE of a cross-border truck driver stands accused by her extended family of using supernatural powers to prosper—an allegation that has ignited a bitter feud now before Chief Mutasa’s community court.

The complainant, Phillipa Chuma, told the court that the dispute erupted unexpectedly after what she thought would be an ordinary family phone call turned into a confrontation filled with hostility and shocking claims from her granddaughter, Gracious Chiuta.

“Last week, I called Gracious’ father, who is my late sister’s son. Gracious answered the phone, and instead of greeting me, she began shouting, saying I was not her relative,” Chuma testified.

According to Chuma, the accusations quickly escalated.

“She said I was a witch, that I was not her grandmother, and that I had bewitched her so she would be forced to return from Durban, where she had been staying,” Chuma told the court.

Shaken by the remarks, Chuma insisted she had never practised witchcraft nor harmed any family member.

She said she later informed her brother about the incident, and Gracious’ father eventually called to calm tensions.

But the situation worsened when Gracious allegedly seized the phone from her father and launched another tirade.

“Gracious grabbed the phone and shouted at me again, calling me a witch. At that point I realised this was no longer a misunderstanding,” said Chuma, adding that elders tried to resolve the matter privately, but were rebuffed.

“We attempted to deal with it internally as a family, but Gracious and her family refused to meet us. That is why we are here today.”

Gracious, however, denied ever accusing Chuma of witchcraft, claiming the altercation had been twisted against her.

“I never called her a witch. In fact, she is the one who labelled me a witch,” Gracious told the court.

She explained that she had answered her father’s phone respectfully, only to be met with hostility.

“I greeted her, but she did not greet me back. Instead, she accused me of spreading rumours that she was a witch.”

“She said I had told my little sister Precious that she was a witch,” Gracious said, maintaining that she had done no such thing.

However, the court heard evidence that contradicted Gracious’ denial.

A call recording was produced involving Chuma’s brother and a family friend, Fanuel Magaswa, in which Gracious was said to have accused her own grandmother of witchcraft.

The recording shifted the mood in court, casting doubt on Gracious’ claims that she had never made such accusations.

Chuma’s brother, Millicent Chiuta, told Chief Mutasa that his sister was being unfairly targeted because of jealousy and long-standing resentment.

“They claim that my sister Phillipa is the cause of all their family problems. They do not greet each other, and they say she is the one causing them not to get married,” said Millicent.

He said the accusations had nothing to do with witchcraft, but envy.

“They are jealous because she is well off. This is why I have brought the whole family here,” he said, adding that Chuma’s marriage had become a source of hostility within the family.

“I hear that the family accuses her of being bad because her husband is gainfully employed in the diaspora. There is bad blood between Chuma and the rest of the family, and it keeps getting worse,” he said, adding that he wanted the matter to be settled publicly to clear his sister’s name.

“I would rather have her cleared here today by the prophets and the traditional healers. I confronted Gracious on why she had accused her grandmother of witchcraft, and she apologised, saying she was angry,” said Millicent, accusing Gracious of lying before the court under oath.

“For her to now deny this, and say she never said it are pure lies under oath,” said Millicent.

Chuma’s husband, Petros Chuma, also addressed the court, dismissing the witchcraft allegations and explaining the source of their income.

“We live well because I am a truck driver. It is hard work, not witchcraft,” said Petros, adding that he had never known his wife to be involved in any form of witchcraft.

“I have never heard of my wife being a witch ever since I married her. These are all lies,” he said, further telling the court that the accusations had led to organised attacks on his wife’s character.

“They have created a WhatsApp group which is against my wife only because we live well. This is very painful for us as a family,” said Petros.

Chief Mutasa expressed concern at the ease with which witchcraft accusations were being thrown around, warning that such claims often destroy family relationships beyond repair.

“These children should stay out of issues involving their parents and siblings. Parents and close relatives should be important to them, not treated as enemies,” said Chief Mutasa, urging the family to prioritise unity and mutual respect, while warning against allowing jealousy to dictate behaviour.

“Being well off is not a crime. You cannot accuse someone of witchcraft simply because they are leading a better life than you,” said Chief Mutasa, before referring the family to a healer for clearance, saying the process would help restore peace and put the accusations to rest.

ManicaPost