Mother goes into hiding with mute child

Sunday News Reporter

A MAGWEGWE mother has reportedly gone into hiding with her 14-year-old mute daughter amid allegations that some family members have been making threats to sacrifice the child in an attempt to cleanse the family of evil spirits.

Ms Siduduzo Ndlovu is said to have decided to go into hiding with her daughter, Shylet Lindokuhle Ndlovu after numerous threats and kidnapping attempts on young Shylet had left her fearing that the family would make good on their moves to sacrifice her.

Family members revealed that a section of the family believed that Shylet being mute was an omen and had left the family suffering from the curse of some evil spirits.

“Our uncles visited some traditional healer when Shylet was three-years-old claiming that they wanted to find out how the family could be cursed with a mute child, despite medical doctors assuring the family that this was one condition that could be explained medically.

“Unfortunately, it is at one of these sessions that the family was told that Shylet being mute was because the ancestors were not happy that the family was no longer recognizing them hence they should expect more mute children and the only way to avoid this was for them to hold a sacrificial ceremony,” said the family source.

It is further alleged that the uncles took that meaning of sacrifice as being that of the need to do this via human blood.

“Since then the family has been telling Siduduzo that they had to get rid of Shylet if the family was to experience any good fortune. On about three occasions two of Shylet’s uncles even attempted to kidnap her by luring her into their car but she would fortunately escape.

“It is at the last kidnap attempt where these uncles were so brazen enough to grab her from her mother, telling Siduduzo that they were tired of suffering when they knew the reason that she decided to go into hiding as she feared for the safety of her child,” said the family source.

According to the source, efforts to report the matter to the police had proven fruitless as the police had said there was no proof of these allegations hence they could not assist the two.

Commenting on the move by the family, Zimbabwe National Traditional Healers’ Association (ZINATHA) president George Kandiero said there was a need for the public to differentiate between fake and genuine traditional leaders.

“When you see a traditional leader encouraging you to kill that is a mischievous individual that has to be reported to authorities as soon as possible. We are not murderers but value the sanctity of life,” said Kandiero.

Efforts to get a comment from Siduduzo were fruitless as her mobile phone was unreachable while one of the uncles who is embroiled in the scam, identified as Mr Ndlovu told off this reporter.

“Who told you that? This is a family issue, please do not contact me,” said Mr Ndlovu.