A fake Zimbabwean traditional healer has been found guilty of conning a businesswoman out of $30,000 to pay for mermaids to recover her stolen car

BBC News:

The money was to have been used to import the mermaids from the UK and accommodate them in a local hotel.

Some of the money was to have been used to pay for a bull, whose genitals would supposedly help find the thief of her luxury vehicle.

Belief in animism is widespread in Zimbabwe, and across Africa.

There is a national association of traditional healers but the court found that Edina Chizema was not registered.

She had denied the charges of theft by false pretences but magistrate Sandra Nhau said she was not a credible witness.

Chizema had also asked for money to buy mobile phones to contact the mermaids and said she could solve the businesswoman's undisclosed "personal problems".

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