A chilling tale of alleged witchcraft initiation has emerged from a farm in Chief Chinhamora's area in Goromonzi, a semi-rural and farming community that is about 50 kilometres east of Zimbabwe's capital, Harare.
This has left villagers in shock and her family desperate for answers. The story revolves around a 10-year-old girl, who claims to have been initiated into the dark world of witchcraft by other children at her school.
The girl, a bright and promising Grade 7 student, has been unable to attend school since the alleged initiation. Her mother, a 51-year-old woman, describes her daughter's ordeal with a mixture of fear and heartbreak.
"This girl is possessed by a snake spirit. She starts to hiss like a snake, writhing around and sticking out her tongue like a snake. She also cries like a hyena when she is possessed," she says.
The girl herself recounts a terrifying experience at school. "I was at school when a stranger, an adult woman, came and touched my head with both hands. Many other children joined her, also touching my head. After that, I started seeing strange things, including snakes being thrown at me, some being placed in my stomach, and being taken out at night to practice witchcraft with others," she says.
The young girl claims that she is taken to secret gatherings, often at night, where she and other children partake in rituals that involve eating "sadza (pap), rice, and meat" and drinking "red beverages." She describes being transported to these gatherings by a "large snake that carries 20 people," and claims to have travelled to far-off places, including Mozambique, under the influence of the spirit.
"We gather in groups of over 50, then climb onto a large snake that carries 20 people, and go to practice witchcraft," she says.
"We can go to Mozambique and other faraway places, both inside and outside the country, and return home around 4 am, even though we try to enter the house. My mother doesn't notice that I'm not home or that I've returned, as my shadow remains inside the house."
The girl's mother has been desperately seeking help, but the ordeal has taken a heavy toll on her family.
"This problem started when my daughter was at school, where she was a top student. Since she started being possessed by this spirit, we have sought help from various people, who have taken her mind to make it like their children's so that she can attend school. She names people we live with, saying they are the ones she goes out with to practice witchcraft, and she is no longer able to perform as well as she used to at school," she says.
The situation has become even more complex, as the girl claims that she has initiated other children into witchcraft, including her aunt's daughter, a 14-year-old girl, and other relatives. The spirit that possesses the girl claims that four children are involved, and one of them is constantly sick and weak.
Adding to the family's turmoil, the spirit has allegedly played a role in the girl's father losing his job.
"The spirit that possesses this girl said it was the one that caused her father to lose his job without any fault on his part. This girl speaks things that will happen, guided by this spirit," the mother says.
The family is now appealing for the public's help, desperate to find a solution to this harrowing ordeal. They are seeking assistance from anyone who can help them break free from the clutches of the alleged witchcraft.
Khulu Kadzuramera, a traditional healer, has been consulted and has confirmed that the girl is indeed possessed by spirits.
"This girl is possessed by spirits, including a snake spirit, which is why she walks like a snake. She can be helped, along with the other three children in this family who are practicing witchcraft with her, but it needs to be done quickly," he says.
