Terrence Mawawa, Mberengwa | A 38-year-old local man has blamed a traditional healer for instructing him to fondle his daughter’s private parts.

Gilbert Baloyi (38) of Hlatini Village under Chief Mahlabeza in Mberengwa is being charged with indecent assault. He appeared before Magistrate Sengster Tavengwa last week.

Baloyi left the court in stitches when he claimed he was instructed by a traditional healer to fondle his 18-year-old daughter’s private parts.

He further said the traditional healer instructed him to perform some rituals on his daughter to accumulate wealth.

The court heard that Baloyi called his daughter to his bedroom on November 29 around 10 pm. He took off her blouse leaving her breasts exposed and applied some herbs all over her body including her private parts. He was fully aware there was a possibility his daughter would not consent.

Baloyi took advantage of his wife’s absence and told the girl that he loved her so much. He proceeded to fondle her private parts.

He then ordered his daughter to drink some sour medicine. While wearing an underwear Baloyi ordered his daughter to lie on the floor and her daughter managed to escape as he attempted to force her to have sex with him.

Baloyi followed his daughter to the bedroom and gave her the sum of $2 and ordered her not to tell anyone. “I was instructed by a sangoma to smear some herbs all over my daughter’s body so that I would become rich. I did not intend to have sex with my daughter. I wanted to perform rituals according to the sangoma’s instructions,” said Baloyi.

The girl reported the matter to her mother who alerted the police.

Baloyi insisted he visited a local traditional healer who gave him herbs to apply on his daughter’s body to enable him to amass wealth.