She says she rejected the advances of an African man, and since then she has been “tormented”
Zetora Johnson, 82, of Baracat Street in Belize City, claims that witchcraft is being used against her by a man whom she knows, who is demanding $250 from her to cure her.
Johnson, speaking with Amandala today, told us that she has refused to pay him, and now, she cannot sleep at night and feels “all kinda things” moving in all parts of her body, and her legs and ankles are swollen.
She showed her swollen legs and ankles to us and said that the pain would begin from her toes and move up to her legs, which become swollen and very painful, and to get relief, she soaks them in water, or urine. She said that her life has become full of misery and pain.
Johnson told Amandala that three years ago a group of Africans were living in a house next to her property on Baracat Street, and her son began an intimate affair with one of the women. But the woman’s brother-in-law was annoyed, because he was in love with her also, and animosity began to develop between the brother-in-law and her son. The man began to threaten him.
Also, one of the other African men began to court Johnson, but she rejected his advances, which made him angry, and he exposed himself to her, she said, after which he threw a bottle into her house that hit her on her leg.
Zetora Johnson became angry and called police, and immigration officials, who raided the Africans’ house, and the entire group became angry with her. They later relocated from the area, but before they did the African man who had made advances on her told her that she and her loved ones would not live in peace in their house.
Johnson said that from since then, over two and a half years ago, she has been tormented. She said that witchcraft is being practiced on her, and she is sure that it is the man whose advances she had rejected who is causing her physical woes by means of witchcraft.
She also mentioned that a while after the Africans left the house, a local who associates with the Africans came to live in the house. Johnson said that he told her son that he had been given the job by the African man to cause trouble for her, but that he could cure her. However, it would cost her $250.
Johnson said that she became tired of the torment, and decided to pay the Belizean the money, but before handing the payment to him and securing a receipt, she called police to witness the transaction, but the police strongly disagreed with the payment and called the action “extortion.”
Shortly after, according to Johnson, the Belizean man climbed a ladder to her window and tried to get into her home to collect the $250. He was not able to enter, but damaged the window in the process, she said.
Johnson told us that that she wants to live the remainder of her life in peace, but she is now unable to walk and is confined to a wheelchair. She is adamant that she has done nothing wrong to deserve the casting of witchcraft upon her, and is calling on the Prime Minister, the Ombudsman, and the Government to enact laws to prohibit the practice of witchcraft, because she does not want other Belizeans to suffer similar torment.
Johnson said the house in which the Belizean man who attempted to extort her is living in, is the property of the DFC, and she is calling on the DFC officials to remove him from the house.
She said that she made many reports about her Belizean neighbor and his acts of harassment against her in efforts to get money, but he has not been arrested.