Girls at Zimbabwe school 'attacked by goblins'

"A goblin is a mythical creature, an evil spirit and there will have to be cleansing rituals at the school if the hysteria continues," said Dewa Mavhinga, a Zimbabwe scholar.

"People who see goblins suffer and witchcraft, as you may call it, occurr in both rural and urban communities and across all the tribes."

A parent who spoke on condition she was not named told the Bulawayo Chronicle of one girl who fell into a trance after seeing a goblin.

"I think that she was possessed by demons. She fell into a trance and then all of a sudden she started screaming and kicking into the air vigorously for about five minutes. When she recovered, she said she had seen a baboon trying to slap her."

Only victims of goblin attacks can apparently see the evil spirit.

Earlier this month, Sam Sipepa Nkomo, water affairs minister, said workers had run away from building a dam because it was infested with mermaids. "These mermaids are also Zvikwambo," Mr Mavhinga said.