The Sunday News
A SELF-STYLED sangoma from Chief Nyajena’s area in Masvingo, who set his uncle’s house on fire in a bid to burn his goblins, was on Wednesday slapped with an effective six-year jail term after being found guilty of arson.
Mike Musiiwa of Mutadzo Village pleaded guilty to arson before Masvingo provincial magistrate Ms Sibonginkosi Mkandla.
He was convicted and sentenced to eight years in jail of which one year was suspended for five years on condition that he restitutes the complainant the value of the damaged property on or before 31 August. Another month was suspended for five years on condition of good behaviour.
Musiiwa took advantage of his uncle, Alick Malendele’s absence to torch the house resulting in the destruction of property worth about $1 000. He was spotted torching the thatched house by a fellow villager, Marita Raisi, who rushed to alert Malendele.
A report was made at Renco police leading to Musiiwa’s arrest and his subsequent appearance in court.
Ms Mkandla said Musiiwa had no right to torch his uncle’s house.
In mitigation, Musiiwa said he set the house on fire because he had proved that his uncle was bewitching him using goblins.
“I am a sangoma who has helped a number of people by exorcising evil spirits and destroying witches’ goblins. I went into a mountain and started counting stones, which are the tools I use in carrying out my duties. One of the stones helped me identify my tormentor. My uncle had been attempting to cast a bad spell on me and other family members using goblins that I later destroyed when I set his house on fire. I knew that there was no one in the house who could be harmed.
“I just wanted to destroy his goblins, which I did,” said Musiiwa showing no signs of remorse.
Mr Fidelicy Nyamukondiwa for the State said Musiiwa took advantage of his uncle’s absence and proceeded to his homestead in the same village where upon arrival he set the house on fire.
“Property destroyed included blankets, a 12 volt battery, 50kg of compound D fertiliser, two wooden doors, 50kg of wheat, 20kg of mealie-meal, 40kg of sorghum, two home theatre speakers, two bibles, seven birth certificates, two monarch bags with various clothing and $412,” he said.
Musiiwa had an altercation with Malendele (40), over the same issue sometime between 2012 and 2013.
