B-Metro
Chidochashe Kossam
GET rich or die trying!
In trying to live true to the above phrase Catherine Zimidzi, (23) from Cement Siding in Bulawayo, found herself caught in a web of deceit and despair after stumbling upon a life-changing opportunity on a WhatsApp group.
Little did she know that this encounter would lead her down a path of unimaginable consequences.
“I saw some posts in one of my WhatsApp groups where a certain man who called himself baba from Ghana posted that he can instantly change one’s fate and looking at the situation that I was in financially I thought to give it a try,“ Catherine narrated.
“I stay with my mum and I have never met my father and as the only child and seeing that my mother’s health was deteriorating due to an illness and that I was also looking for ways that can make us earn a decent living and also get my mother the care that she deserves I quickly responded to that advert from Baba from Ghana,” Catherine added.
Driven by her dire circumstances, she decided to take a leap of faith and reached out to the mysterious man behind the posts.
The man wasted no time in engaging Catherine in conversation. He asked for her pictures, which she willingly provided, hoping that this would be the key to unlocking a brighter future.
However, after sending the pictures, the man suddenly went silent, leaving Catherine in a state of confusion and anxiety.
The following day, the man resurfaced, demanding that Catherine send him nude pictures and her banking details.
“After I sent baba my nude pictures on the second day, he asked me to send my banking details and I openly told him that I do not have a bank account,” Catherine said.
Undeterred, the man proposed an alternative method of transferring funds US$3 500 through one of the international money transfer and remittances services.
Desperate for a way out of her destitution, Catherine agreed to the transaction and managed to collect the money.
However, her joy was short-lived as a week later, she began experiencing severe and continuous bleeding.
“I successfully managed to collect the money that baba had sent and was very excited as I managed to buy lots of groceries before returning home but my joy did not last for long because after a week I started feeling unbearable pain just below my belly button followed by heavy bleeding “
Filled with worry and fear, Catherine’s health deteriorated rapidly, leaving her in a state of constant anxiety.
Catherine did not try to get any help because of fear of intimidation.
“I suffered silently because I had started all this, I believe somehow baba is involved in what I am going through because since the day I collected the money he has not been reachable,” Catherine sadly narrated
Now, two months after the ill-fated encounter, Catherine finds herself trapped in a nightmarish situation.
The promise of a better life has turned into a living nightmare, as she grapples with the physical and emotional toll of her actions.
With no recourse and no one to turn to, Catherine is left questioning her decision and the consequences that have befallen her.
Catherine is still suffering and believes the problem will stop on its own.
