Two village heads dead amid supernatural claims

A BITTER dispute within the Mutinhima family has allegedly claimed the lives of two village heads, igniting fears of supernatural forces and deepening divisions in the community.

The feud, rooted in accusations of witchcraft, goblins, and the mysterious practice known locally as mubobobo (spiritual sex), has pitted siblings against each other and thrown the wider community into turmoil.

Testimonies before Chief Mutasa’s community court revealed that tensions escalated after the late acting village head, Custon Mutinhima, fell ill and later died.

His widow, Mutsa Chikuni, believes her husband’s death was, not natural, but the result of a calculated spiritual attack allegedly orchestrated by his elder brother, Aaron Mutinhima.

In an emotional testimony, Chikuni said prophets and traditional healers consulted by the family claimed her husband had been bewitched.

“The problems in this family did not start with my husband’s death. There is bad blood and hidden secrets that are now costing lives unnecessarily,” she said tearfully.

Chikuni recounted how her husband’s health deteriorated suddenly in October 2024, leaving him unable to open his eyes and struggling with blood circulation. His condition worsened again on December 24, when he became unable to eat.

Although hospital tests reportedly diagnosed acid-related complications, prophets consulted by the family offered a different explanation—insisting that Custon was under spiritual attack from his brother.

Chikuni told the court that before his death in May 2025, her husband confided in relatives and friends that he suspected Aaron was behind his suffering.

“He told his friends that his brother had killed him spiritually, and I was told this by some relatives after his death,” she said.

Her accusations sparked heated debate in court, with some community members supporting her claims while others defended Aaron, who denied any wrongdoing.

In a bid to resolve the family’s turmoil, Chikuni said they later consulted a prophet identified as Murenje, who allegedly claimed the family was harbouring goblins acquired through money-making rituals.

“The prophet said someone in the family had acquired goblins to accumulate wealth, and that is what had angered the ancestors. He said the village headmanship had become a black spot, and that is why two people who assumed the position had died,” she said, adding that while the family had begun a cleansing process, Aaron had allegedly refused to fully participate, frustrating efforts to restore harmony.

“My problem is that my brother-in-law is refusing to ensure that the cleansing rituals are done to their logical conclusion,” she told the court.

However, Aaron dismissed the allegations, saying he had been unfairly branded a wizard, and accused of crimes he did not commit or understand.

He told Chief Mutasa that he had only gone to assist his younger brother out of love, and had not performed any supernatural shenanigans against him.

“The truth is that I did not know that I was being labelled a wizard. I visited my young brother when he was bedridden, during which he told me he was suffering from a headache. We took him to the hospital because we loved him,” said Aaron.

Aaron denied ever possessing goblins or charms, adding that claims made by the prophets also shocked him.

“When this healer came, he said the goblin came from our late parents’ home, not my home. He claimed that one prophet I had previously called in to help my ill child gave me some eggs which later turned into goblins,” said Aaron.

Aaron explained that he had consulted a prophet in the past when his child was ill and the child recovered, but denied any wrongdoing.

“He said those things were buried in my yard, but after they were removed, the situation became worse because people became violent,” he said.

Aaron said the cleansing process was never completed, adding that the village has since been orphaned, without a village head in charge.
“As we speak, there is no village head because of these accusations,” said Aaron.

Adding fuel to the fire, another brother, Edson Mutinhima, openly accused Aaron of possessing mubobobo, claiming that the charms were physically removed by a traditional healer.

“My brother, Aaron, has mubobobo, and it was removed from his under garment by the healer. Everyone should know that,” said Edson, insisting that the family was not fabricating the accusations, and demanded accountability.

“We want him to tell us where he got those charms so that he surrenders them back. Apart from the goblins removed from his yard, the mubobobo was also removed from his underwear,” said Edson.

Despite the serious accusations, Aaron maintained his innocence, and told the court that he had been humiliated and isolated by his own family.

“I do not know these things they are accusing me of. I have suffered insults and rejection for something I never did,” he said.

Chief Mutasa ruled that the family must put aside their differences and complete the cleansing process to prevent further deaths and restore order to the village.

He warned that unresolved spiritual and familial conflicts could continue to destabilise the community.

“As a family, you must stand united and follow the programme to cleanse the village headmanship seat. People must stop dying, and that will only happen if you work together as one family,” said Chief Mutasa.

He said the leadership disputes rooted in suspicion and fear threatened, not only the family, but the entire village, urging unity as the only path to healing. Manica Post