A HARARE man has been arraigned before magistrate Dennis Mangosi on charges of blackmail after he and some accomplices pretended to be traditional healers or n’angas/sangomas to extort money and property from a bereaving widow.
Donewell Kufandirori (18) was remanded in custody and will be back in court on Monday for bail application.
His father from Chinzanga in Mutoko is a co-accused in the matter.
Allegations are that the accused and his six accomplices (still on the run) extorted the complainant (whose name was not disclosed in court) after misrepresenting themselves as n’angas.
The seven accused person allegedly threatened the complainant and her family with death if she failed to surrender all the property and cash left behind by her late husband who passed on in January 2023.
The accused persons alleged that her late husband's wealth was accrued through the goblins they gave him before his death.
The accused persons demanded US$ 10 000 cash and two vehicles, being the property left by her late husband, failure which the complainant and family were going to die within 24 hours.
The complainant gave in to the accused persons' demands and surrendered US$3 800 and the accused persons escorted the complainant to their base at Chinzanga in Mutoko for cleansing.
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While in Mutoko, further threats were made that the complainant must not disclose the matter to anyone and that the following morning she was supposed to sign an agreement of sale for the two vehicles.
A police report was made leading to the arrest of the accused.
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