The Sunday Mail
Sekuru Friday Chisanyu
In African religion there are systems which are old and wider than science. These systems are highly accepted by the majority of the African population in their everyday lives
Runyoka is a myth meaning that it is a true practical story handed down through generations, orally giving value to known and unknown history. It is used to teach people the consequences of cheating and importance of remaining faithful to each other.
Before the people are married they get to believe and trust each other.
It is true that temptations are there in the field of love, so this fact leads most men to think of using runyoka to safe guard their marriages. Most people don’t really understand how runyoka works even if they are lot of recorded evidence of people dying from runyoka.
Runyoka is made by Traditional Medical Practitioners to preserve marriages. This is a spell used by a man to catch those who commit adultery with his wife. Men are always busy and sometimes they go out of the country for different types of duties. As a result sometimes they do not have peace of mind if they don’t lock up their wives if they suspect them of committing adultery.
Runyoka is a broad name, there are several types:
· Runyoka rwehove
· Runyoka hwenhimba
· Runyoka rwemajuru
· Runyoka rwemugogodza
· Runyoka rwebanga
Runyoka rwanyakugungu
This type of spell kills a person on the spot and changes the entire body to a black colour like what happens to a person bitten by a black mamba.
Runyoka rwenyakungu is made from a mixture of some medicine and other parts of a black mamba
Runyoka rwebanga
This type is whereby people are locked together during sex. In making this type of runyoka, one has to mix the medicine with an open knife then close it after using the medicine on his wife. After this practice, if the wife has sexual intercourse with another man, they will stick together. When the husband is summoned while the two remain stuck he just has to open his knife to release the two victims.
The advantage of runyoka is people will fear to commit adultery.
The disadvantage is that some people will die seeking modern medicine when they get sick because they will not be aware that they are affected by runyoka.
Runyoka is common in Mashonaland West and Mashonaland Central provinces. Most people are affected by runyoka because it does not show when a woman is under its spell.
There are a lot of mysteries associated with runyoka. Runyoka is used by both men and women, in some other cases runyoka rweruware is used to protect the virginity of young girls until they reach a certain age which is agreed by the parents. This type of runyoka will totally secure the virginity of a girl in such a way that no man will be able to have sex with her.
A person under a spell will not get sick or any other problems until he or she commits adultery. Runyoka is only curable by traditional medical practitioners.
Sekuru Friday Chisanyu is the president of Zimbabwe National Practioners Association. email feedback on [email protected]
