Beatrice N’anga Accused of Demanding US$250,000 From Widow Over ‘Goblins’

By Percy Pinias Nhara, Harare

Police in Beatrice are investigating an alleged extortion case in which a grieving widow claims a traditional healer demanded US$250,000 over alleged goblins supposedly acquired by her late husband.

The incident reportedly occurred a day after the woman buried her husband, when the healer allegedly summoned her to his homestead and claimed that the deceased owed him the money.

According to reports published by H-Metro, the healer, identified as Sekuru Amos Kafera of Gaths Farm in Beatrice, allegedly threatened that the widow and her children would die if she failed to settle the purported debt. The widow claims Kafera subsequently removed a python from a sack and told her that the snake had belonged to her late husband. Fearing for her life and the safety of her children, she allegedly agreed to pay.

Kafera is accused of sending workers to the widow’s home to collect a tractor, a disc plough, a Toyota vehicle, 13 cattle and US$13,000 in cash. The property allegedly taken was valued at more than US$60,000, according to the reports. The widow further claims that she continued to face pressure to pay an additional US$48,200. She reportedly confided in relatives, who advised her to report the matter. One of her grandchildren subsequently went to Kafera’s homestead and recovered the tractor and disc plough before the family approached the police.

Reports indicate that property and cash valued at US$33,000 have since been recovered. Police have confirmed that investigations are underway. No court finding establishing criminal liability has been reported in the information available, and the allegations against Kafera remain unproven. The case has drawn attention to concerns about the alleged exploitation of vulnerable people through threats and claims of supernatural debts, particularly during periods of grief and emotional distress.

Kafera has previously attracted media attention through interviews in which he reportedly claimed to use goblins to assist clients from various professions and backgrounds. According to those reports, his alleged clients included pastors, prophets, business executives, sex workers, kombi operators, truck drivers and car dealers. He reportedly claimed that some people sought spiritual assistance to prophesy in church, attract wealth, repair troubled marriages or bring back spouses who had left their homes.

The latest allegations, however, are now the subject of a police investigation, with the focus on the property and money allegedly obtained from the widow. Further details, including the full circumstances surrounding the alleged transactions and the recovery of the property, are expected to emerge as investigations continue. Southerton Business Times will update this story as verified information becomes available.

Beatrice traditional healer extortion case