ABSTRACT
This chapter associates with witchcraft in Central and Northern Mashonaland is the mazenda shave or, according to Gelfand, one of the varieties of this shave. The following extracts from the case R v Zindoga alias Nice illustrates the manner in which this spirit is supposed to behave. A man had died and a number of women washed the body and then guarded it overnight, as is customary to prevent witches interfering with it. On the other hand, it is the recognition by members of a minor lineage that a certain person is entitled to sacrifice on their behalf which validates that person's claim to be head of that lineage and which finally determines whether an attempt by a person to become lineage head in his own right has succeeded. The cult serves to resolve conflicts between agnates since the co-operation and assistance of agnates is required when the vadzimu are propitiated.
