Cowdray Park Goblin Captured

By  Tanaka Murewa

Residents of Cowdray Park suburb have been left stunned after a group of prophets carried out a cleansing ceremony in their area, removing two alleged goblins from two local houses. They had suffered extreme torture from these mysterious things that had been throwing stones destroying windows and asbestos.

Out of desperation the residents engaged the services of one Prophet Siziba, who conducted a night of vigil last night setting traps to capture the goblin. This series of events created a lot of interest across all social media platforms especially on twitter as people were eager to know what would become of the goblin.

The engagement of Siziba followed a failed attempt by other prophets on Monday evening that saw one of them being violently attacked by the goblin at one Mr Tito Gumboś house and a young boy being hospitalised following an attack too. The victorious prophets removed the goblins from Gumbo´s house and from Ms Future Khumaloś.

The cleansing ceremony that was scheduled to start at 8AM today had a false start after Siziba, who had left at 4:30 in pursuit of his crew members, came three hours late. An expectant crowd cheered him as he finally arrived. Siziba and his four-men crew, clad in apostolic robs, gave vivid instructions that people should not disturb once the proceedings were in progress.

The crowd gladly obeyed the instructions and was deafeningly silent as the prophets knelt and prayed, making unanimous turns of the cardinal compass points chanting dialogue-like prayers in languages only understood by them. They then mixed some coarse salt and water and instructed all residents to wash their hands in a bucket they had positioned in the middle of the crowd to ¨protect¨ them from being attacked by the goblin.

Siziba summoned Gumbo upfront and confirmed to him that there were things at his house and hence there was need for cleansing. Grabbing their water bucket, salt, empty alcohol bottles and a live chicken they set out for Gumboś house. He instructed Gumbo to lead the way. There was commotion and stampede as the crowd pushed each other with others climbing on rooftops trying to get a better view.

Celebratory cheers were chanted as the prophets gained victory over the first goblin from Gumboś house where the chicken mysteriously died after they removed an animal-like thing covered in fur. At the Khumaloś house they removed two things-one small head-like that had ¨hair and eyes¨  and another that wax covered in a black cloth with white, red and blue beads around it.

Siziba was nowhere insight after the ceremony and Prophet Nkomazana took over on addressing the crowd. There was much disgruntlement from the crowd after Nkomazana announced that they would not name and shame the owners of the goblins.

¨It does not mean that the owners of these goblins are the people in whose houses they were found. Our job was to free you from the torture that you had been subjected to by these things. May you continue to live in peace as you have been, do not point fingers at each other. We will not confirm anything on the ownership of these things,¨ said Prophet Nkomazana.

Resident chairperson Mr J Nyoni echoed the same sentiments as those of the rest that the only way that the residents can be able to move on peacefully is if the owners would be named and shamed.

Councillor Collet Ndlovu expressed concern over the conduct of Cowdray Park residents over this issue considering it is the second time such has happened.

¨This is the second time that something like this has happened in our community. First it was the issue of Ernest. We will hold a meeting tomorrow and try to address this issue. As the prophets said, these things do not belong to the people who were found in possession and hence we don´t expect the other residents to look at them with contempt. We hope that after addressing this, such issues will not be heard of again,¨ said Cllr.

Mr Gumbo expressed disappointment over the refusal of the prophets to name and shame the owners of the goblins.

¨They said the things do not belong to me but they would not say whom they belong to. Right now people will continue to look at me with suspicion. i do not know where these things came from and just like everyone else Iḿ anxious to find out,¨ he said.

Mr Promise Gondwe and Thabisile Ngwenya, two of the 14 residents whose houses were attacked by the goblins echoed words of gratitude to the prophets. They said they hope that this marks the genesis of a peaceful neighbourhood and that this be a lesson to the rest of the residents who may aspire to get wealth in the same manner.

@tannytkay