Normalcy has returned to Chibi High School in Masvingo where several boarding school pupils had to leave school and return home last week following an outbreak of mass hallucination and mysterious hysteria. A cloud of fear hung over the Reformed Church in Zimbabwe-run institution last week after some of the affected pupils started making strange noises and screaming wildly, prompting school authorities to call their parents.

At least three pupils were taken home by their parents from the school last week amid fears that they might have been victims of a satanism cult.

Masvingo provincial education director Ms Clara Dube last Friday visited the school to assess the situation following reports of the mass hysteria attacks. Ms Dube yesterday confirmed that the boarding school pupils had to be taken away by their parents from the school but said the situation had since normalised.

"There was a small problem at Chibi High School where some pupils were hallucinating and making some mysterious wild noises but the situation is now under control. In fact the whole thing is now water under the bridge because the problem is now over.

A few pupils who were affected by the hysteria were taken home after school authorities called their parents," she said

Ms Dube added that there was no need to send an investigating team to Chibi High School as the situation was now back to normal.