Avenging Spirit Makes Unending Demands
The avenging spirit of a man who was murdered nearly 50 years ago is demanding more cattle after the family of the murderer paid 26 cattle as compensation.
The alleged spirit of Chizemo is reportedly venting its anger on the Mashairenyi family in Mutambara, Chimanimani, following his murder by Erick Mashairenyi in 1974.
Mashairenyi told Chief Mutambara’s court last week on Saturday that he, together with his friend only identified as Musoni, murdered Chizemo.
He said they killed Chizemo after discovering that he was in love with his (Mashairenyi)’s sister.
Mashairenyi said he handed over 18 beasts to the Chizemos in the 1980s in a bid to appease the avenging spirit.
That was after the then Chief Mutambara, the late Sam Mutambara, had instructed him to do so, and not the avenging spirit.
Mashairenyi’s son, Tapuwa, said when the avenging spirit began manifesting in the 1990s, his father developed a mental illness and left home to stay on the streets.
Tapuwa said the family found out that Chizemo’s avenging spirit was behind his father’s mental illness in 2009 when the spirit demanded eight more beasts.
When the top-up was done, Mashairenyi recovered from the mental illness.
But twelve years later, the avenging spirit has begun making fresh demands of two more beasts.
Meanwhile, Tapuwa begged Chief Mutambara to summon the Musoni family so that they will pay the other beast to the Chizemos.
However, Chief Mutambara ordered the Mashairenyis to engage the Musonis and chart a way forward on how to appease the avenging spirit.
Tapuwa claimed that Chizemo’s avenging spirit was affecting his marriages as he has been divorced several times.
But the deceased’s daughter, Sarah Chizemo, said Tapuwa’s collapsed marriages were caused by his philandering rather than by the avenging spirit. She said:
He has had six wives and all of them left because of his womanising antics. Have you ever heard of an avenging spirit that causes promiscuity? They should just pay up what they owe our family and not beat about the bush.
Why would we accept our father’s spirit back into the family when they haven’t paid everything to us? We need what is due to us before conducting the rituals.
Mashairenyi and his friend killed my father and I grew up without a father. I should have been a teacher leading a good life, but I failed to do so because there was no one to support my dream.
