What was meant to be a spiritual cleansing retreat turned into a night of terror for three women in Chitungwiza, Zimbabwe, after a ritual with a traditional healer allegedly took a sinister turn.

Pamela Bako, Shillah Mabvudzi, and another woman identified only as Talent claim they were taken to a mountain in Goromonzi by a traditional healer known as Sekuru Sinaro for a cleansing ceremony. Once there, they were instructed to ingest, bathe with, and wash their hands in herbal mixtures. However, the women say the ceremony quickly turned unsettling and dangerous.

Pamela recounted to H-Metro that after the sangoma left them in the care of two male aides, she overheard the men speaking in hushed tones about them in what she believed was a sexually suggestive and threatening manner.

“We were told to bathe and look into a mirror in a dark room while the two men watched,” Pamela said. “Sekuru left us with them, claiming he would return later. But one of the aides started making comments like ‘Sekuru can pay your rent,’ and I felt something was terribly wrong.”

Sensing danger, the women fled into the surrounding forest at around 7 p.m., some without clothes or belongings. Pamela, who had her infant child with her, managed to reach the main road and eventually made it back to Harare. “It was horrifying. I regret ever going there,” she said.

Shillah’s escape brought her to the doorstep of Apostle Blessed Mugwambeni’s home, arriving half-naked and desperate for help. The apostle and his family, who were in the midst of a prayer vigil against witchcraft, initially feared the worst.

“We were about to sleep around 11 p.m. when we heard her calling for help,” said the apostle. “Given the timing and her appearance, we thought it might be a spiritual attack. But after hearing her story, we gave her clothes and tried to take her to the police.”

However, their efforts were thwarted by the absence of female officers at the station, with male officers reportedly refusing to intervene.

Shillah expressed regret over not leaving earlier, saying that the absence of any women at the shrine had initially raised concerns. “We wanted to leave, but the men blocked us. We had no choice but to run. I lost my phone and other belongings.”

The incident has sparked outrage in Chitungwiza and raised fresh concerns about the safety of spiritual practices involving traditional healers. As of now, authorities have not announced any arrests or official investigation into the matter.