An elderly man from Nowe Village, Chimanimani District died while five other family members were hospitalised after allegedly taking a traditional medicine popularly known as Guchu recently.

Robert Mahanzu, 81, died hours after taking some of the traditional medicine that was prepared by Abraham Chikwanda, 38, who is an uncle to the family.

Solomon Nowe, a young brother to the headman in the area told Karanganda TV that elders used to make the traditional medicine, guchu, for different purposes.  He said the medicine is also used by men so that they can perform better in bed.

One of the survivors a 27-year-old man who is Robert Mahanzu’s son said when the medicine was prepared by their uncle they were not there.

“After taking a cup of the medicine, I vomited and I had a running stomach after 30 minutes. My father came from the fields he drank the medicine and he had a running stomach and started vomitting as well, ” he said

The elderly man reportedly did not tell his family that he was not feeling well. He did not eat any food after taking the medicine but requested for water frequently.

“Around 5 am my mother shouted to us, when we got into their bedroom, my father was breathing heavily. I called him by his name but he did not answer. That’s when I realised he was not going to survive. We hired a car to take him to the hospital and he was pronounced dead at the hospital.

That day, Mahanzu’s son had a swollen face, and he could not walk. A car was hired to take him and the other four family members who drank the medicine to the hospital.

“After we got to the hospital, I was put on two drips and three injections. When we came back, I was still not well. Its three days after we were discharged from hospital and  I still have a headache.

The late Mahanzu’s wife confirmed her husband’s death but she said she was not happy as she could not find the reason why her husband chose not to tell anyone what happened to him.

–Karanganda TV

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