VILLAGERS in Lupane, Matabeleland North province, have roped in witch hunters to assist them locate four-year-old Milton Tshuma, who went missing on March 15.
The boy was left under the care of neighbours by his aunt, who had gone to attend a meeting at a local business centre.
He was last seen following some boys who were herding goats in the plains.
Ward 23 councillor Fibion Ngwenya told Southern Eye that they have engaged four witch-hunters, popularly known as tsikamutandas and self-confessed prophets from both Zambia and Zimbabwe, to perform rituals in a bid to locate the whereabouts of Tshuma, but in vain.
“We have involved different teams of tsikamutandas and prophets, but they have failed to locate the child,” he said.
“At one point, a group of madzibaba [apostolic sect members] came and charged us US$350 to go back and bring their leader, but we did not have that kind of money. We requested to pay it after they had shed light on our issue, but they left and never returned.”
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Added Ngwenya: “Another group from Zambia came and told us that the child’s whereabouts were known by the family and requested the family to partake in some rituals, but the uncle of the child refused to participate in the exercise, until they left.
“Some prophets have claimed the child was murdered and the body parts taken to South Africa. We are, therefore, inviting anyone willing to come forth and help us in any way.
“If the child is dead, we need to know where exactly his bones are buried because we are in fear of facing a similar incident in again.”
Matabeleland North provincial police spokesperson Inspector Glory Banda confirmed the case of the missing child saying there had been no new developments in the case.
“We haven’t gotten any new developments on the whereabouts of the missing child and investigations are underway,” Banda said.
Efforts to get a comment from the boy’s mother, who is based in South Africa, were fruitless as she refused to respond to questions posed to her.