Hundreds of angry protesters marched to the Thohoyandou Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday to hand a memorandum to the senior magistrate, to oppose the bail application of two traditional healers charged with the brutal ritual murder of the late Maanda Sendedza (25) of Makonde village.

Mukondeleli Phosha (54) of Tshidzini and Shumani Dzebu (31) of Muledzhi were found in possession of Sendedza’s private parts, tongue, clothes and cell phone. Phosha and Dzebu were also charged with attempted murder, following the removal of Nyelisani Sidimela’s lips. She was found lying helplessly next to Maanda’s body. The suspects were also found in possession of Nyelisani’s removed lips.

The memorandum challenged the judge not to give bail to the suspects because what the suspects did is inhumane and unacceptable. Makonde community also resolved that the police must arrest other ‘known’ suspects who are also involved in the ritual killing of Sendedza. They also demanded that the case of the late Goya Rambofheni, who was found hanging from a tree in October 2001, at Makonde, should be reviewed and those who are suspected of murdering him for muti purposes be arrested and charged. They further requested the judge to renew the investigations in the case of the little Mpho Mmbegwa who died after an alleged brutal rape by an adult in May this year. The memorandum also demanded that the case of a young girl, Ndidzulafhi Rasalanavho of Makonde, who was found hanging from a tree in 1997, should be reviewed and the people who were allegedly behind her suspected ritual murder be arrested and charged. They further sent a strong warning to the senior magistrate and the SAPS to take their demands more seriously, failing which, more mass action would follow.

When accepting the memorandum, the senior magistrate of the Thohoyandou District, Nyambeni Mudau, said the peaceful march clearly showed that community members had a common goal and they were concerned about what had happened. He said the judge is governed by the constitution and law of the country but the demands of the protesters would be given special attention urgently.

The demonstration was also joined by the Vhembe Traditional Health Practitioners, led by a well-known traditional healer, Mbulaheni Neluvhola. “We do not use body parts to cure people and it is against our ethics to murder people for ritual purposes. As traditional healers, we say the suspects in Maanda Sendedza’s murder case must rot in jail…,” he told the demonstrators.

The regional chairperson of Vhembe Sanco, Khosi Progress Kutama, was also there to add his voice against the bail application of the ‘doctors of death’.

* Dzebu and Phosa appeared in court on Wednesday. Dzebu’s bail application was postponed to December 14. Phosa’s bail application was postponed to Thursday, to give the village headman the opportunity to testify. Both are in custody.