BY STEVE EPHRAEM
DEATH of three members who belong to the same family in a period of three weeks has left Chimanimani villagers worried than ever.
For the past three weeks, a family (name withheld) in Nemaramba village under Chief Mutambara in Chimanimani West has been losing a family member in death on the same day of the week.
The ordeal began on Tuesday 18 July when the family lost a granny. On Tuesday 25 July, a second death met another granny of the same family. This Tuesday (01 August 2023) a man (about 44 year old) from the same family died in a suspected suicidal case.
The man was found lying in one disused water-well by other villagers.
A source privy to this sad development who spoke to this reporter on condition of anonymity said that the whole village is now worried about what is happening to the family in concern.
“It’s unbearable that a family loses three members each week for a consecutive three week period. They were part of our community and we were loved them. The village is worried to lose people in death at that rate especially when it is happening to one family,” she said.
Contacted for a comment, village head Nemaramba confirmed the deaths and expressed worry over the man’s suicide case.
“Each Tuesday for the past two weeks, the family lost a granny. It is unfortunate that today (Tuesday), the family has lost another member. The deceased man once had a mental challenge. As traditional leadership, we summoned his relatives to do something but no one responded. His condition later subdued.
“His mental challenge bounced again this morning when he intruded a neighbour’s house. The man was taken to the clinic and returned home. We are not sure if his mental challenge was due to drug abuse or something to do with spiritism.
“I urge families to put heads together and quickly respond to such cases whenever a family member develops mental challenges. They should investigate whether their relatives is being affected by drug abuse or hounded by spirits. It’s not good to leave one suffer and eventually died like this,” he said.