A traditional cleansing ceremony was recently held at Mutimutema Primary School in the Silobela village 60 km west of Kwekwe in Midlands Province. 

A traditional healer is reported to have been engaged by the community of Silobela after parents of Mutimutema pupils and teachers at the school had complained to the District Education Offices about the strange things taking place at the school.

A teacher from neighbouring St Theresa Primary School who spoke to Relzim.org on condition of anonymity confirmed that the cleansing ceremony was held to “get rid of the ghosts. I understand now that after the ceremony had been done there is peace at the school.”

Some of the strange cases that the teachers had encountered since the beginning of last September included mubobo (African magic used to have sex with unsuspecting partners) and attacks from ghosts during the night.

An insider in the Kwekwe district education offices who requested anonymity said, “The traditional cleansing ceremony was conducted at the school. And so far there was no case that has been reported in connection with attacks. This has helped a lot because most teachers were transferring from the school alleging that they are being haunted by ghosts.”

John Chataika, the Education Inspector in Kwekwe district for Zhombe area, was quoted in The Midlands Observer article on November 2 saying, “It’s true that they are certain horrible things happening at the school. Female teachers are experiencing mubobo and the males are also having night mares.”

Efforts to get a comment from the District Education Officer Easiwell Sibanda were fruitless as he was not reachable for a comment.

Mutimutema Primary School is a peri-urban government school.