Moffat Mungazi
Tendai Gukutikwa
Weekender Reporter
A 44-YEAR-OLD Hobhouse mother of four, has made startling claims of being haunted by an invisible man who torments her sexually while awake.
Speaking in an unsolicited interview with The Weekender on Monday, Anna Mutepfura said the figure, which she can only see, often appears dressed in nothing, but boxer shorts, and has been forcing himself on her since 2009.
Anna who was in tears as she narrated her ordeal, said she at times thinks of taking her own life as no family member is willing to assist her.
“I have been experiencing this ghastly ordeal since my high school days. Sometimes I just wish I was dead, and walk to the railway line with the intention of throwing myself in front of an oncoming train,” said Anna.
The sobbing woman said she recognises the face of the man, but does not know him.
Prophets she has consulted claim the figure is a spiritual husband, a being tied to her through spiritual rituals allegedly performed by her mother, Mbuya Ennet Mutepfura when she was young.
She explained that her torment began in 2009 and has not relented.
The invisible man, she said, sometimes appears even when she is in bed with her husband or when seated with friends.
“When I try to resist him, I lose control and behave as if I am mentally unstable. This has happened so many times and I have stopped resisting him. He comes anytime and does whatever he wants with me,” she added.
Anna’s troubles extend beyond the visits of the invisible man whom she said follows her everywhere.
During the interview, Anna began speaking in a strange language, claiming it could be the Holy Spirit trying to help her.
“I do not know the language, but it just happens. People think I am faking it, but I am not. I cannot control it. I am at the mercy of this man, he just does whatever he wants with me,” she insisted.
Anna claimed that when she approaches her mother, Mbuya Mutepfura about the alleged rituals, she has always denies everything and reacts angrily.
“When I ask my mother why she did this to me, she starts crying or becomes angry,” claimed Anna.
She believes her mother’s denial is tied to the ongoing spiritual attacks.
“When I dream of my mother and her late mother, I know that I will be severely ill the next day. This has happened on countless occasions,” she said.
Contacted for comment, Anna’s mother, Mbuya Mutepfura denied all the allegations, saying her daughter hates her with a passion.
“I know that my daughter is tormented by ancestral spirits, but she has never been mentally challenged. We do not see eye-to-eye because she accuses me of being behind her suffering. This pains me so much. I do not know how she wants me to assist her when she knows that I am only her mother. Her father’s family is supposed to assist her, but instead she targets me. Anna does not love me. She never visits me or her siblings when we live in the same city. She always sends me insulting messages,” said the mother.
Anna also revealed that strange voices often instruct her to leave her husband because she is spiritually married to the invisible man.
These experiences are compounded by sightings of bizarre creatures, including a brown snake with a white belly that no one else can see.
“Sometimes, I see strange creatures like a snake in my home or a cat that scratches me for no reason. I also encounter mermaids when I visit rivers or wells. They try to pull me away. I need help,” she pleaded.
Her spiritual torment has taken a toll on her marriage.
Anna said her husband, Cross Ndlovu, feels helpless and is increasingly getting frustrated.
“He believes the invisible man is infringing on his marital rights, so he has become emotionally and verbally abusive. He does not take care of us anymore, and my children have suffered as a result,” she said.
Anna said her husband’s neglect has left her fending for their children, who are forced to be in and out of school.
“My 17-year-old and 14-year-old sons are only in Form One. I am appealing to anyone who can help pay their school fees because I want them to have a better future,” she said.
Contacted for comment, Ndlovu declined to speak, and handed the phone back to Anna.
“Speak to her, she is the one who knows best what she is going through,” she said.
Neighbours have also observed Anna’s strange behaviour, with some corroborating her claims of being haunted.
“Sometimes, she screams and talks to herself. It is unsettling, but maybe she really sees things we cannot,” said a neighbour, Rudo Tamira.
Despite her desperation, Anna says she cannot afford to escalate the matter to traditional courts for a resolution.
“I want to report this to Chiefs Mutasa or Zimunya’s courts, but I do not have the money for the costs. I appeal to anyone who might help me confront the mysterious torment or provide support for my children’s education,” she said.
Zimbabwe National Traditional Healers Association president, George Kandiero, weighed in on Anna’s plight, suggesting that her suffering could be alleviated through exorcism.
“What church people refer to as spiritual husbands, we call them ‘bvuri’. This could stem from witchcraft by someone envious of her, effects of mubobobo (spiritual Bluetooth), or a situation where she was unknowingly married off to a goblin or avenging spirit in her childhood. The solution lies in finding a skilled exorcist to cleanse her of this spirit,” he said.
Faith healer, Madzimai Charity Chijuba echoed similar sentiments, attributing Anna’s torment to a spiritual husband.
“This woman is being afflicted by a spiritual husband. To free herself, she must undergo a spiritual divorce through prayer, but only after her mother confesses any ancestral pacts or unresolved spiritual issues. We are prepared to assist her at my shrine,” she said.
