Mysterious ox wreaking havoc in the fields

A huge, mysterious “talking” ox has descended on Musamani village outside Beit Bridge where it is reportedly wreaking havoc in the fields.

The ox, measuring about two metres in height, has reportedly destroyed crops in several fields in the area, as villagers watched helplessly. According to villagers, the stray animal, whose owner is not known, has destroyed crops in several fields in Musamani. Villagers told Mirror that the ox behaved like a human being as it sometimes "talked" whenever people tried to drive it away.

“This ox is really behaving in a rather mysterious way; so much so that all the local villagers are now afraid of going anywhere near it. Even if it strays into the fields, no one dares to drive it away as it starts bellowing in a manner that is different from other cattle. In fact, several cattle rustlers have tried unsuccessfully, on several occasions, to steal it because once you attempt to drive it off, it makes a sudden U-turn and starts talking like a human being, apparently in protest,” said Mr Pfuluwani Tshinwa, an elderly villager.

Another villager, Mr David Moyo, said: “This ox is causing mayhem in the village. We have lost a lot of our crops because once it strays into a field, no matter how secure it is, you can’t drive it out. It either charges at you or starts bellowing and behaving in a strange way. Everyone is afraid of it.”

Local villagers have since christened it Nnditsheni, a Venda word, which when loosely translated into English literally means, “Leave me alone.”

When Mirror recently visited the area, the ox was amongst a herd of villagers’ cattle at a local watering point. When this reporter tried to drive it away, it showed signs of “protest” as it threatened to charge at him. Villagers who spoke to this paper confirmed that a number of cattle rustlers and those who claimed to own the ox had, on many occasions, failed to drive it off.

“I remember some three months ago, an old man from the neighbouring Shashe village came to our village, claiming the ox belonged to him. The village headman authorized him to take it away, but we were surprised when the old man came back a few minutes later, panting and visibly drenched in sweat, alleging that the animal had spoken to him,” said Mrs Nndanduleni Ndou. The old man claimed that he had mistaken the ox for his own.

“Several people who wanted to steal it have faced similar problems, and it looks like this animal is being used for muti purposes. The animal was once driven to a cattle sale pen by a suspected cattle rustler, who intended to sell it to a butcher. It then started “speaking”, resulting in the suspect´s releasing it.”

A local traditional healer said in the African tradition such animals were common as they were used by ancestral spirits. “This is a common phenomenon in our African culture for people to use animals such as bulls and oxen for muti purposes. In most cases, black bulls are used as ancestral spirits, so it is not surprising to hear an ox speak like a human being.

“In fact, it will be ancestral spirits themselves speaking through the animal and if you try to harm or steal such sacred animals, it would be as good as inviting evil spirits and bad omens onto your family members,” said Mr Latani Tshimima, a local traditional healer.

News - Date: 22 April 2011

Mashudu Netsianda

Mashudu Netsianda is our correspondent in Beit Bridge, Zimbabwe. He joined us in 2006, writing both local and international stories. He had worked for several Zimbabwean publications, as well as the Times of Swaziland. Mashudu received his training at the School of Mass Communication in Harare.

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