Famous traditional healer, Elias Godknows Zinyemba was yesterday dragged to court on extortion charges as defined in section 134(a) (b) of the criminal law.
Ziyemba (106) who is well known for advertising his goblin business in newspapers, and other two accomplices Pamela Zinyemba and Newlife Magona stands accused of extorting a Harare resident Josephine Nyakujara of US$7000.
It is the state’s case that sometime in November 2021, Zinyemba and his accomplices hatched a plan to steal from Nyakujara and approached her claiming that her late daughter named Precious had goblins which she used to boost her business.
They followed up with a letter in which they committed to perform rituals to remove the goblins from Nyakujara’s Glen Lorne home.
In the letter, Zinyemba told the complainant that he would be accompanied by his two representatives named Artwell Magona and Elton Dickson (still at large).
Upon arrival in Harare, he carried out some rituals and received US$7 000 from the complainant.
Nyakujara later on advised her uncle Douglas Chiendambuya who was in the company of Justice Muzungu about the goblins incident before realising that the same story had happened to him following his father’s death.
They both went to Zinyemba’s shrine and confirmed that they had both visited the place.
Nyakujara reported Zinyemba to the police for extortion.
Mariam Furidze was representing the state.
