The Sunday News
TWO brothers left villagers in Gokwe dumbfounded after they took their dispute over goblins to Chief Njelele’s traditional court.
It is alleged that Johann Mpofu dragged his bother Job Mpofu and his wife, Rosemary, to the traditional court demanding his goblins back.
Chief Njelele confirmed that the two brothers appeared before his court after he was approached by Job’s children alleging that there were goblins at their homestead that were terrorising them and other relatives and their father was refusing to get rid of them.
“They appeared in my court recently when they were fighting over goblins,” he said.
Johann confirmed that he was no longer on talking terms with his brother and his sister-in-law over the goblins which he claims he wanted to destroy.
“What happened is that I received a call from my brother’s son saying that they were experiencing a series of misfortunes and prophets that they had visited told them that their parents were keeping goblins.
“The son said when he and other children confronted their parents, their mother told them that she could not dispose of them because I had given her the goblins and therefore I was the one who was supposed to get rid of them,” he said.
“I was in Cape Town and I flew home for the traditional court. I told the chief that I gave Rosemary five baby echidnas about 20 years ago when I picked them in the bush. I went to Gokwe Centre intending to sell them to an Indian businessman. When I got there I was told he had relocated so I left them in the custody of my brother’s wife.”
An echidna is much similar to a hedgehog although they are different animals.
According to villagers, all hell broke loose when Job and Rosemary refused with the goblins and Johann hired two self-styled traditional healers to go to the latter’s homestead to destroy them.
Tempers flared and the two brothers had a heated argument that degenerated into a near fight with Johann demanding that the goblins be destroyed while Job and Rosemary refused to give them up.
The traditional healers forced their way into Job’s homestead and recovered a snake and a crocodile and burnt the animals while villagers looked on.
Job’s son, William, confirmed that his father and his uncle were fighting over goblins that were reportedly terrorising family members.
“That is a very long story I cannot explain it all over the phone,” he said.
