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Fraudster gets 12 years in Botswana

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A ZIMBABWEAN masquerading as a traditional healer in Botswana has been sentenced to 12 years in jail for conning two women of P740 and stripping them naked after claiming he could cure them of their ailments.

A ZIMBABWEAN masquerading as a traditional healer in Botswana has been sentenced to 12 years in jail for conning two women of P740 and stripping them naked after claiming he could cure them of their ailments.

BY OUR STAFF REPORTER

The women are also from Zimbabwe.

According to reports last Friday, Michael Zikhali (39) was denying the charges of fraudulently acquiring money from the unsuspecting women, when he appeared at the Mogoditshane Customary Court before Kgosi Alfred Dihutso on Wednesday.

But Dihutso convicted and sentenced him to an effective 12 years in jail.

It was the State’s case that Zikhali duped Zimbabwean women, Mandy Madijanjove (26) and Fortunate Phillip (36) of their P740 on the pretext that he would heal them of their illnesses. Madijanjove told the court that Zikhali demanded money up front for him to destroy evil spirits and goblins that caused her a persistent headache and prevented her from getting married. She said Zikhali came to their house in Mogoditshane looking for Philip who suffered from cancer.

“He told me that he was a traditional doctor and prophet who had just returned from Chivhu, Zimbabwe, where he had gone to assist people,” Madijanjove told the court.

“I then told him that I was suffering from a persistent headache which started 12 years ago. He prayed for me. After that he demanded P20 consultation fee.”

She said on the third day, Zikhali grabbed her by the neck saying he wanted to remove an evil creature in her. Madijanjove said the creature he referred to was a small tortoise with human hair which fell from his pocket.

“The headache did not stop despite assurances that it would stop,” she said.

Phillip also told the court that Zikhali undressed her to cleanse her using salted water and scooping the water with an ostrich egg shell. “Every time he bathed me he asked me to turn around as he (purportedly) removed strange things from my back, which included animal hides with colourful beads,” Philip said.

He told Philip the creatures were the main sources of her problems and demanded P3 000 so that he could kill them, but she did not have the money. It was not disclosed in court how much exactly she paid, but the total amount, which the women were defrauded of was P740. The two later made a report to police after discovering they had been duped leading to Zikhali’s arrest.