The Sunday News
Loveness Mpofu, Sunday News Reporter
FOUR female teachers have left Gohole II Primary School in Kezi, Matabeleland South this term after complaining that they were being sexually terrorised by suspected goblins resulting in them waking up with semen on their bodies and wearing male underwear.
Even the remaining teachers are now so scared and have reported that the suspected goblins were also targeting male teachers who have reported waking up wearing female underwear. Sunday News visited the school last week where officials confirmed that more teachers were contemplating leaving the institution.
School Development Committee chairman Mr Eleck Sibanda said the four female teachers wrote letters to the parents’ body detailing the harrowing experience they had experienced at the school. He said even some schoolchildren have also complained over the matter.
“We are very concerned about the well-being of this school. Four female teachers have left this term after complaining that goblins were abusing them.
We have developed the school so much and it would be sad if it is closed because of this matter. A solution must be found soon before all the teachers leave,” he said.
Sunday News also attended a meeting which was called by Chief Nyangazonke and parents to address the matter. Villagers said teachers have said they were only staying at the school because they were failing to get transfers. The parents said they feared more teachers will leave and this will in turn affect the children.
Mr Hlanganani Moyo, a villager from Qinisela Village said: “It pains us a lot to see our children going to school to play because teachers have left. If nothing is done, our children will end up staying at home.”
Another villager concurred with Mr Moyo suggesting that a cleansing ceremony must be carried out to deal with the matter. He even alleged that some children from the area have died mysteriously and they suspect it was linked to the goblins.
“Our children are not safe and so far we have lost three children. Last year a boy from Bhalagwe died on his way from school after being struck by a stone from nowhere. When he was taken to the hospital the doctors said it was pneumonia. Children at the school are being hit with bread which they can’t tell where it is coming from. Two months back, a child from eGagwini died days later after he told his parents he got sick after he was tripped by a loaf of bread while another died in a well which is not even deep,” said Mr Mark Nkomo.
The concerned villagers said the goblins were not only affecting the school but the whole community.
They said the goblins were allegedly sleeping with women and girls from surrounding villages. Some said they were finding their mealie-meal gone in the morning.
Mrs Theodora Ncube said: “I’m not ashamed to tell everyone here what the goblins are doing to me. My husband died, but I wake up having signs that I was with a man at night. I sleep alone in my room but in the morning I will be with a man beside me. I can’t even have another husband because the goblin chases them away. I have even gone to spiritual healers and they have confirmed that I’m being made to sleep with a goblin.”
The villagers appealed to the chief to organise a cleansing ceremony.
“We ask the chief to do something. However, we hope he will engage genuine traditional healers, not those who come to cause disunity among us,” said Ms Nkosizile Masuku.
Chief Nyangazonke said the incidences were disturbing.
“I’m hurt by people who bring such evil acts into the community. There is no respect for human life. We are talking about our own people and some of them are our mothers. Another woman said her child had to leave for South Africa to escape from the goblins. Even education is derailed in such instances,” said he said.
Chief Nyangazonke assured villagers that he will consult other chiefs to find a solution.
“We might say we are solving this yet we might cause more harm. We need to be cautious of fake traditional healers who might end up causing hatred among villagers. I will consult other chiefs to assist in finding a genuine traditional healer,” said the chief.
Matabeleland South Acting Provincial Education Director Mr Lifias Masukume said he has not yet received the report.
“I’m currently not working from the office and I haven’t heard about the situation at the school. We will, however, find out what is going on at the school,” he said. -@lvydvy1
