HUNDREDS of people have visited the late popular
traditional healer Sekuru Ndunge’s homestead in Chipinge since his death a
month ago seeking permission to carry on using his paraphernalia from his
family, his eldest son Jabu has said.
Born Charles Ndunge Makhuyana, Sekuru Ndunge, as he was
fondly referred to, not only by his kith and kin in the sprawling tea estates
of Chipinge but nationwide and beyond, succumbed to diabetes and was laid to
rest early last month at his homestead.
The Weekender caught up with Jabu last Friday in Chipinge
and after moments of prodding the late traditional healers’ eldest surviving
son opened up to The Weekender about events unfolding within the family a month
after his father’s death.
Jabu confirmed that hundreds have visited their homestead
seeking permission to continue using his late father’s paraphernalia.
He said others visited them to confirm whether they are
supposed to return the money-spinning or luck-enhancing charms they obtained
from his departed father, as widely purported through social media messages.
“I can safely say we have met hundreds of people who were
my father’s clients. They visited our homesteads in the past four weeks after
the death of Sekuru Ndunge. They came to us asking whether it is true that they
should now surrender the paraphernalia they got from my father. We told them
that the choice is theirs. If they feel they can carry on using what they got
from our father we have no problems with that. Those that wanted to surrender,
we went through the necessary rituals.
“However, most of those that came to us said they wanted to
continue using the paraphernalia they got from our father and we have no
problems with that. They actually returned with whatever they got from Sekuru
Ndunge,” he said.
Jabu was quick to complain about misrepresentation of facts
in newspaper stories about his father’s death.
“It is sad that some people are reporting falsehoods about
things that have been going on since my father died. I have read that we have a
list of people that sought help from my father but that is not true at all. It
is news to me.
“Such misrepresentation of facts is actually damaging to
the name of the family. Yes, my father was a famous traditional healer but that
should not lead people into writing falsehoods. We are engaging our legal
advisors on steps to take,” he said.
Sekuru Ndunge died at the age of 87.
In a trade that spanned more than seven decades, Sekuru
Ndunge gained popularity as he served people of different races and background
from almost all parts of the globe.
Nonetheless, Jabu could neither confirm nor deny that there
is animosity between him and the eldest daughter of Sekuru Ndunge distribution
of their father’s tools of the trade.
“I really cannot say whether there is bad blood between me
and my elder sister. She has not come out in the open to me about any of her
alleged grievances so I cannot be the one to go out of my way to ask her
whether she has any complains.
“What I simply did as the eldest surviving son was to
ensure that everything is done in a proper traditional way. I stopped the
process to distribute anything that belonged to my father until the appropriate
time comes and that includes the things that he used in his work as well as all
his belongings.
“I have received calls from as far as South Africa from
people that want to buy those old vintage vehicles that belonged to my father
but I turned down their enticing offers. We are not parceling out anything that
belonged to my father at the moment, not even the money that he left behind. If
that did not go down well with anyone within the family, so be it. I am only
doing what is supposed to be done.
“Once again I will have to reiterate that the issue of
succeeding our father is purely a traditional matter that has to be done in a
traditional way. No one has the moral right to declare themselves my father’s
successors when there are traditional processes to be followed,” he said.
The eldest surviving child of Sekuru Ndunge, Jane did not
mince her words as she literally declared herself the successor on the
sidelines of her father’s funeral wake early last month.
“I am now a fully fledged traditional healer and I am based
nearby across the border on the Mozambican side. During the time that my father
was not feeling well, I even assisted him on a number of occasions. There could
be some among my siblings who would want to practice but they have not been
open about it. I can safely say I am the one who is carrying on with my
father’s work,” Jane Ndunge said.
Vintage vehicles – from Bentley, Datsun 120Y to Peugeot
504s as well as SUV vehicles – scattered around his homestead were part of
gifts that Sekuru Ndunge received from a wide range of clients that included
prominent politicians, businessmen, clergymen and other traditional healers.
Herald
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