Zim: Bogus traditional healer held (Told woman to hire mermaids, use bull 'privates' to find car)

News 24 (South Africa) ^ | March 21, 2006

[Stoat]

Bogus traditional healer held
21/03/2006 16:52  - (SA)  

 

Harare - A bogus traditional healer, who persuaded a businesswoman to hire "mermaids" and accommodate them in a hotel to help find a stolen car was convicted of theft by false pretenses, said court officials on Tuesday.

Harare magistrate Sandra Nhau found Edina Chizema guilty of swindling a businesswoman of her savings with promises that mermaids would help recover the luxury car in 2004 and solved the businesswoman's unspecified "personal problems".

In Zimbabwe, where tribal superstition was deeply entrenched, prosecutors said Chizema persuaded Margaret Mapfumo to pay 200 million Zimbabwe dollars (about $30 000) to hire mermaids, feed and accommodate them in a Harare hotel, buy power generators for a floodlit lakeside ceremony and invoked ancestral spirits to find the missing car.

Prosecutors said that some of the money was to be used to buy a bull whose genitals - described in court as the animal's "strong part" - would point out the car thief.

At a hearing on Monday, the magistrate said Chizema, who had pleaded not guilty and claimed to be a spirit medium, was not a credible witness and the "idiosyncrasies" of her plea were not recognised in law.

According to court officials, Chizema was due to be sentenced to imprisonment or a fine at a sentencing hearing later.

In Zimbabwe, prominent figures and even leading politicians had often been the victims of such scams.

[Stoat]

If this is a 'bogus' healer, what would constitute an 'authentic' traditional healer?

If the personal attributes of a bull are indeed effective at pointing out criminals, this could prove to be a marvelous crimefighting tool. 

"cough"

[rlmorel]

Some threads will just write themselves...:)

[Stoat]

Some threads will just write themselves...:)

And I sincerely appreciate your assistance and input   :-)  News stories such as this help us all to appreciate the rich cultural diversity of our world :-)

[PBRSTREETGANG]

...persuaded a businesswoman to hire "mermaids" and accommodate them in a hotel to help find a stolen car ...

Prosecutors said that some of the money was to be used to buy a bull whose genitals - described in court as the animal's "strong part" - would point out the car thief.

That's some savvy businesswoman.

[Stoat]

That's some savvy businesswoman.
 

The NOW gang should invite her to be a guest speaker at one of their 'women's empowerment' seminars.   :-)

[G.Mason]

Who knew these people had that much imagination.

They should have absolutely no probem deposing Mugabe.

Perhaps they just like to be beaten.

[dighton]

If this is a 'bogus' healer, what would constitute an 'authentic' traditional healer?

Authentic healers have a diploma from the Mbogo School of Medicine.

[null and void]

YIKES!

[Dr. Bogus Pachysandra]

I want to be clear. I had NOTHING to do with this case.
Dr. Bogus Pachysandra

[CzarNicky]

Did they have to rent rooms for the mermaids or did they just stay in the hotel pool?

[TBP]

This is carrying the old-fashioned healing thing just a bit too far.

[dynachrome]

"If the personal attributes of a bull are indeed effective at pointing out criminals....." This is much cheaper. On grocery shelves everywhere

[gnarledmaw]

Vampire politics and flying african wizards

[Stoat]

Who knew these people had that much imagination.

They not only have quite an imagination,  they have a nearly imaginary economy as well:

Zimbabwe Annual inflation rate for February surges to 782 %

They should have absolutely no probem deposing Mugabe.

I have no doubt that millions of Africans and billions elsewhere hope and pray for this to happen very soon.  But, as has always been the case with Africa, when one brutal, murderous and insane dictator leaves, it's usually a matter of another one cut from the same cloth taking his place. 

 

Who knew these people had that much imagination.

They not only have quite an imagination,  they have a nearly imaginary economy as well:

Zimbabwe Annual inflation rate for February surges to 782 %

They should have absolutely no probem deposing Mugabe.

I have no doubt that millions of Africans and billions elsewhere hope and pray for this to happen very soon.  But, as has always been the case with Africa, when one brutal, murderous and insane dictator leaves, it's usually a matter of another one cut from the same cloth taking his place. 

 

[Stoat]

Authentic healers have a diploma from the Mbogo School of Medicine.

<<<<   <<<<   phoning Mbogo school registration desk to inquire about lucrative careers as a 'traditional healer'.  Hmmmm....I wonder if I need to supply my own bulls and mermaids for the course?

[Stoat]

YIKES!

I'm guessing that the bull had a similar reaction when he was pressed into service for this particular event   :-)

[Stoat]

I want to be clear. I had NOTHING to do with this case.
Dr. Bogus Pachysandra

<<<  crossing Dr. Bogus Pachysandra off of list titled : "People to call when investigating crimes involving mermaids and bull genitalia"

[Stoat]

Did they have to rent rooms for the mermaids or did they just stay in the hotel pool?

Unfortunately the article doesn't supply us with such essential information, but if there's ever any shortage of accommodations for mermaids they are entirely welcome to stay at the stoat cave   :-)

 

[Stoat]

This is carrying the old-fashioned healing thing just a bit too far.

I'm thinking that if you were to make a public statement to that effect in Canada, you may be arrested for hate crimes because you are 'denigrating the culture of indigenous peoples".

That being said, I'll take a Johns Hopkins ER doc over any 'traditional' practitioner any time at all  :-)

 

 

[Stoat]

This is much cheaper. On grocery shelves everywhere

<<<  making note to inquire about aisle location of  "goat smegma' next time I'm at Safeway.