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The cemetery where the old man was killed.

Old man killed at graveyard

 

Members of the community of Ndzumeri village outside Giyani in Limpopo have stoned to death an old man in a cemetery, shortly after burying another young man.

On Sunday, Elias Bakisi Nkuna (70) attended the funeral of the 22-year-old Thulani Vhuma. Vhuma died after a short illness. The grandfather was not aware of the fact that some of the community members were accusing him of practising witchcraft.

According to a family member who refused to be named, the old man was responsible for killing Vhuma. She said Vhuma died after visiting Nkuna at his home in Daniel Rabalele, which is not far from his own village, Ndzumeri. She said the mourners planned to kill Nkuna after the burial because they accused him of being responsible for many of the deaths in the area.

Another resident, Daniel Hombyana, said the killing shows the levels of hate in the community. He also accused the family of encouraging members of the public to kill Nkuna. “It is very sad to see old people nowadays being targeted as witches, and if the government does not act, all elderly people will be killed for nothing,” he said.

Nkuna was killed in full view of the hundreds of mourners. Afterwards, the attackers allegedly tried to bury the old man in a shallow grave.

The murder of the old man follows two months after a 62-year-old granny was burned to death in Ximawusa and another 79-year-old grandfather was burned to death in Rotterdam

Provincial police spokesperson Colonel Ronel Otto said the police despatched a team to investigate the murder, but at the time of going to press, no one had been arrested. Col Otto believes that suspects will be arrested soon. She has appealed to members of the public not to take the law into their own hands.

News - Date: 11 April 2014

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Victor Hlungwani

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