A trailer that was abandoned in Dopota, Hwange along the Bulawayo-Victoria Falls highway, 11 years ago has remained intact for all these years despite thieves trying their luck on it.

Though parts, like tyres from the trailer, have been removed by thieves, reports from villagers indicate that whatever is left of it cannot be touched as anyone who has tried to strip the trailer has been met by slaps from invisible hands, press reports.

Villagers and traditional leaders have confirmed that the trailer has remained relatively intact because anyone who has attempted to temper with it has been heavily slapped by the invisible “guards”.

The villagers said the trailer was left in 2010, after it broke its chassis, by a truck driver who was ferrying coal from Hwange to Harare. Although the trailer load was later offloaded into another truck, the owner had not bothered to tow the trailer.

Samuel Mugande, a villager, said for some strange reason, the mystical creatures guarding the trailer only attack those who attempt to steal.

“The most interesting part about these incidences is that those that are mostly attacked are those individuals trying to steal from the trailer. People, especially truck drivers, are the culprits that are often attacked by these things when stop and try to steal wheels,” he said.

Dopota Village head, Tryness Ngwenya confirmed the strange incidents adding that villagers strongly believed that the trailer was haunted.

It is alleged that the incidents started happening a few months after a villager who was left in charge of the trailer when it broke down advised the owner of people who were trying to steal its tyres and boards.

The owner reportedly came to Dopota village and afterwards told her not to worry anymore. That was the time when the reports of people being assaulted by unknown beings began to surface.