Epworth woman dies after using street herbs to enlarge her private parts

A 21-year-old woman from Epworth’s Overspill suburb died on July 11, after applying a street-sold herbal concoction allegedly intended to enlarge her private parts.

The woman, identified as Jacqueline Gatsi Terepi, collapsed inside her rented room after reportedly experiencing severe burning sensations following the application of the product.

Police launched a full investigation into the circumstances, while details about Jacqueline’s background and living conditions have begun to emerge.

Jacqueline, originally from Nyagwiti Village under Chief Chawawa and Chief Makuni in Rushinga, had been living in the Auction section of Overspill.

Two fellow female tenants reportedly purchased the substance from roving street vendors and shared it with Jacqueline after claiming it enhanced their own private parts.

After receiving the product, Jacqueline reportedly locked herself in her room, according to landlady Progress Sambare.

Moments later, she began screaming that her body was burning.

Witnesses said she started vomiting, developed rashes, stripped off her clothes, and attempted to run outside naked. She was restrained and laid on her bed, but her condition continued to worsen.

With her condition deteriorating rapidly, tenants wrapped Jacqueline in a blanket and carried her to local women known for traditional healing practices.

Despite their efforts, she died shortly after returning to the house.

Her body was examined by medical authorities before being transported to Rushinga, where she was laid to rest at her family’s homestead under Chief Makuni.

In the wake of her burial in Rushinga, Jacqueline’s father, Ngoni Terepi, told My Zimbabwe, “We were just told that my daughter and her friends used some medicines to enlarge their ‘things’ before this happened. I’m still waiting for the results of the examination because I wasn’t there.”

Other residents echoed the trauma of the incident. One of them, Everjoy Mudzaki, described it as sudden and deeply disturbing. “We spent the day together. She started vomiting and foaming and became weak. Then she defecated before collapsing,” she recounted.

Traditional healer Annah Muzimbi, popularly known as Madzimai Merekina, said Jacqueline arrived at her shrine wrapped in a blanket, struggling to breathe.

Muzimbi observed that her genitals were severely swollen and compared the herbal product to a poisonous caterpillar.

Her husband, Morgan Chakandinakira, also weighed in, condemning the reckless use of unverified enhancement remedies. “Let us live as we were created. This desire to modify our bodies with harmful substances is dangerous,” he said.

Prominent traditional figures have also expressed concern. Gogo Shiella Mugwagwa, known locally as Gogo Mheta, visited Jacqueline’s home and confirmed her critical condition.

Meanwhile, George Kandiero, president of the Zimbabwe National Traditional Healers Association (Zinatha), urged citizens to stop buying medicines from unlicensed vendors.

“People must stop supporting these street sellers. Their concoctions are life-threatening and illegal,” he warned.

Although the exact contents of the herbal substance are yet to be confirmed, health advocates have called for stronger public education and tighter regulations around traditional medicines.

The tragedy has renewed national debate over the safety of unregulated herbal products circulating in informal markets.