allAfrica.com: Zambia: Copperbelt Tortoise Shocker! (Page 1 of 2)

Resident of the Copperbelt have in the past few months been awakened to a rude shock as incidences of animals and birds descended on some unsuspecting families with warning messages in letters strapped on their backs.

Some shrewd businessmen who have found this phenomenon as the best and quickest way to retrieve their monies from people who owe them have perpetuated this bizarre practice.

In history, it is pigeons that were known as the best senders of mail in far-flung areas to communities. Dogs have also been known, if well trained, to send parcels and messages to others.

But the stories coming out of the Copperbelt in the past two months have rather been odd. Letters delivered on tortoise backs and pigeons to a number of people who allegedly owe large amounts of money and apparently fail to pay on agreed dates have rather unsettled many, including those that may not be superstitious.

Because it is strange for anyone to see a tortoise strapped in clothes and beads and an envelope on its shell addressed to them. Some people who have been owing tortoise senders have been quick to pay back what they owe because of fear of being killed through witchcraft.

Incidences of tortoises being bearers of messages to creditors have not been so common in Zambia and when such things happen, a lot of concern is raised. Though such incidents have been reported in the past, the one that seemingly raised a lot of concern was the one in September in Kitwe in which a businessman, Mando Ngulube, woke up to a rude shock and fear when he received two life-threatening letters delivered to his home by a dove and a tortoise.

A white dove believed to have come from Nakonde landed at Mr Ngulube's Parklands home with a letter strapped to its legs. The letter to Mr Ngulube demanded that he settled the outstanding K50 million for the Fuso truck he had acquired or he faces severe circumstances. The following day, a tortoise wrapped in a white cloth and strapped in white, blue and red beads with a small coffin on its back delivered a similar letter.

In both letters, written in Namwanga, the author complained that he was suffering while Mr Ngulube was enjoying himself despite owing him K50 million.

In Ndola early this month, residents were shocked when they found a tortoise carrying a tiny unidentified animal skeleton and a letter demanding payment of over K38 million from a local businessman, Mumena Mushinge. Some people going for work in the morning discovered the tortoise outside the gate of House number 7 President Avenue carrying a letter addressed to the occupant of the house.

The letter written in Swahili was reminding Mr Mushinge to pay back K38,480,000 debt as per promise. Other businessmen who recently received life-threatening letters delivered by tortoises were Luanshya residents, Philip Mike Shimoomba and Gelson Mwale. What really boggles the mind is that, no sooner did these tortoises deliver letters to Ndola and Luanshya than another tortoise last week delivered a letter to a Kitwe magistrate, Phabious Numbwa, with a message demanding the release of two prisoners whom he allegedly jailed.

The tortoise which was found in court two in the afternoon was wrapped in chitenge material and carried a letter written in Bemba demanding that Mr Numbwa releases two people whom he had convicted to enable them resolve the problems the families were facing.

The letter also suggested that Mr Numbwa should sort out the problems facing the families of the two unnamed prisoners if he did not release them.

"Twapapata, fumyeni abo abantu babili mwatuma kuchifungo. Ifyenu fyenu, ne fyesu fyesu. Ngamulefwaya ukulanda naifwe mulaishe abobene abaletele inkalata (please release those people you have convicted because they have left problems at home otherwise you will have to sort them out yourself. Yours is yours and ours is ours. If you want to talk to us, send the message to the same tortoise that brought the letter," reads the letter.

In Mr Ngulube's case, when he acquired the truck, he made part payment of K20 million and was supposed to settle the remaining K50 million in 40 days. It was after he failed to fulfill the promise that the letters were sent to him. "I defaulted for 40 days and tried to give them K25 million which they refused. At that time the people I dealt with then told me they were actually not the owners of the truck but that it belonged to someone from Nakonde," Mr Ngulube said.

Earlier, the sender of the dove and the tortoise warned Mr Ngulube not to involve the police, as doing so would invite severe consequences. However, after protracted negotiations between the dove and tortoise sender and Mr Ngulube's family, it was agreed that Mr Ngulube pays the remaining K50 million although the sender wanted him to pay K100 million for defaulting.

Mr Ngulube's uncle travelled to Nakonde to pay the money after his mother insisted that only what was owed was to be paid and that Mr Ngulube would not travel to Nakonde himself but his uncle. But the question is: How possible can anyone send a dove or a tortoise or indeed any other creature to deliver messages? According to many people, this could only be done through black magic or in simple terms, witchcraft.

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