A 106 year-old traditional healer on Monday
appeared in court for extortion after he allegedly threatened the family of late businesswoman, Precious Nyakujara, with death if it did not return the goblins he claimed to have given the now deceased.
Precious who died in August last year was
well-known in the capital as a foreign currency dealer. Elias Godknows Zinyemba appeared before Harare magistrate Shane Kubonera charged with extortion.
Zinyemba appeared together with his daughter
Pamela Zinyemba and his nephew Newlife Magona. It is alleged that in November last year, the trio together with Artwell Magona and Elton Dickson connived and wrote a letter which they addressed to
the late businesswoman. The letter was taken to the late Nyakujara’s residence in Glen Lorne and was received by her husband John
Mukorera.
It is further alleged Mukorera, after reading the
letter , which purported to invite his late wife to
Zinyemba’s shrine, advised his mother-in-law
Josephine Edith Nyakujara. She came to the house and after reading the letter,she allegedly spoke to Magona, the messenger who
had brought the letter.
He claimed he had been sent by his uncle Zinyemba.On November 24, 2021, Mukorera and his mother-in-law and his cousin Brian Goto went to Zinyemba’s shrine in Musekiwa village in Bindura escorted by Magona.
On arrival, Zinyemba took them into his shrine where he started speaking as if he was in a trance.
He allegedly told them he had given the late
Precious some goblins, which had helped her
succeed in her business. He also claimed he had seen that she had passed away and the goblins now had no one to take care of
them. Zinyemba claimed since the goblins needed blood, it was not looking good for the family left behind by Precious.
And, to emphasise his point, he allegedly said a
number of the family members would die if no action was taken to appease the goblins.
