A Musina sangoma amazed local residents and a few shoppers when he appeared at a local wholesale with three hyenas and two baboons in a bid to intimidate a businessman over unpaid debt.

Eyewitnesses reveal that the Sangoma was first seen coming out of a truck with his chained animals and walked towards the main entrance of the wholesale in the early hours of Sunday morning.

“We first saw him coming out of a blue truck with his hyenas, at first I thought they were a different breed of domesticated dogs till I saw two baboons. I don’t know where he comes from but rumors says he is a local Sangoma who is owed a huge sum of money by the wholesale Indian owner (name withheld).

“We are all gathered here to see the outcome, all wholesale workers oozed out of the premise when he entered despite being bared by two security personnel,” the man said in Venda (translated in English).

The workers of the wholesale had no kind words for the shop owner and accused him of using juju and allegedly kill albinos for business juju.

“We have always suspected him, now the truth has been exposed; he killed many albino children now his sangoma has come for unpaid money. When we first saw him (sangoma) entering the shop everyone shouted and rushed towards the exit, some customers even escaped with unpaid groceries. I saw the supervisor taking money from deserted tills, I think they are giving him his money,” said one shop assistant.

“These days there is fierce competition for customers, Zimbabweans who used to be our top customers are no longer buying as they used to because of import bans by their government that’s why there is increased number of juju using shop owners. We are paid on commission, this man (Sangoma) disturbed our work, they must give him his dues as soon as possible, we have families to feed”, fumed lady who claimed to be a till operator in the whole sale.

Efforts to get a comment from the wholesale management were fruitless as they engaged a long discussion with the Sangoma over a debt which is believed to be around R23 000.

Metro police personnel were seen around the scene trying to get concrete information before confronting the situation.