Woman paid for 5 UK mermaids

Woman paid for 5 UK mermaids

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By Staff Reporter

A HARARE woman bought FIVE return air tickets to fly mermaids from London after a spirit medium told her they would help her recover her stolen car and money.

Zimbabwean authorities say this was a swindle and have arrested the spirit medium Edna Chizema, who is also a popular musician, charging her with theft by false pretences.

The bizarre details of the case were revealed when Chizema, better known as Ambuya Maduve, went on trial on Wednesday.

Magrate Mapfumo told a Harare magistrate how she turned to Chizema after her car and $150 million cash went missing from her home.

She said when she arrived at the singer’s home, a mystery voice told her that she had to buy air tickets for the mermaids (injuza in Ndebele, or an imaginary sea creature fabled to have a woman’s head and upper body and a fish’s tail) which would track down the thieves who had stolen her car and cash.

"The voice told me that I was supposed to buy air tickets for five mermaids which were due from England, “Mapfumo is quoted as saying by local press reports. “I enquired about the fares upon which I was told to check with the newspapers."

Mapfumo told the court that after checking in the newspapers, she found single journey tickets selling at $4,2 million and the return ones selling for $7 million.

“I could only afford to raise $35 million for three mermaids to travel and Ambuya Maduve came to collect the money at the same time impressing upon me to look for the remainder,” she told the stunned court which was in stitches through-out.

"I asked about the names of the mermaids and I was told they were called Emma, Charmaine, Sharvine, Bella and the fifth one was said to be an Arab mermaid.

“After a week or so I was told the mermaids had arrived and were to stay at Jameson Hotel and that I had to pay the hotel bills. All the time she told me that I couldn’t see the mermaids since only spirit mediums could do so.”

Later, Mapfumo said Chizema instructed her to give $3,8 million to Bella and $4 million to Emma.

"I was also instructed to give $7 million to Charmaine whom she said was very close to me and after a week, I was told that Charmaine’s brother had come from England. I was told that I had to buy him a return ticket since he was running Charmaine’s businesses back in England," she added.

Mapfumo says she later raised money for the remaining mermaids. She was also instructed to provide them with a bedroom suit, cellphones and generators for use during their stay in the country to which she complied.

When she failed to recover her car, a report was made to the police leading to Chizema’s arrest.

The trial continues.
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