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Four prominent Vhembe traditional healers, charged with ritual murder, briefly appeared at the Mutale Magistrate’s Court on Friday, 30 December. They were remanded in custody until February 8. They are held in connection with the death of a 40-year-old unidentified man whose headless body was discovered in the bush at Mafukani, outside Thohoyandou, on 7 November, 2004. The legs, ribs and arms were also missing.

The doctors of death are Mukondeleli Phosha (54) of Tshidzini, Shumani Dzebu (31) of Muledzhi, Balanganani Munyai (84) of Khubvi and Tshimomo Munyai of Tshandama. They were arrested towards the end of last year (2005) and their bail applications were turned down by the state.

The ritual murder drama unfolded when the Thohoyandou police arrested Phosha and Dzebu in November and charged them with murder after they were allegedly found in possession of the late Maanda Sendedza’s private parts, tongue, clothes and cell phone. They were also allegedly found in possession of Nyelisani Sidimela’s removed lips. She is receiving treatment in Gauteng. While they were in police custody, Phosha and Dzebu cooperated with the police and disclosed that they were not the only ones involved in ritual killings, but there were other local traditional healers who killed people and sold their body parts. This resulted in the arrest of Balanganani Munyai and Tshimomo Munyai.

Together with the police, the traditional healers pointed at the spot at the banks of the Ngwedi River in Tshidzini village, where the remains of the unidentified ritual murder victim were buried. Police recovered bones of a skull, ribs, legs and arms. They were covered with a red plastic bag and wrapped in a green shawl and placed in an old maize meal bag. The remains were partly burnt and sprinkled with black muti and tree roots.

Meanwhile, the President of the Vhembe Traditional Healers Practioners, Dr Mmbulaheni Neluvhola condemned the actions of the arrested traditional healers.

 

 

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