'Monkey' scares village

2004-11-11 14:17

Bismark Lubisi

Malelane - Superstitious villagers are starting to accuse each other of witchcraft after a woman claimed she saw a monkey herd cattle out her yard.

"I was going to work just before dawn and saw the monkey under a tree with the cattle," said Maggy Lubisi of Sibukeng village in Nkomazi, south of Malelane in Mpumalanga.

"The gate to my yard was wide open, even though I had locked it the night before," she said.

When she called neighbours for help, the monkey disappeared into nearby bushes.

Lubisi claims the monkey has since returned to her house several times and plays on her roof between 02:00 and dawn.

"I've seen monkeys and this one's behaviour is questionable and very strange," she said.

Her community believes the monkey is a witch's relative, who is trying to find the witch.

Afraid of mob violence, Induna Makhundu Shongwe has urged the villagers to work with the local tribal authority to resolve the matter.

"Four houses were burned down after people were accused of witchcraft, and we cannot afford another incident," he said.

Spokesperson for the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (NSPCA) Kingston Siziba, said monkeys have similar mannerisms to humans, which frightens superstitious people.

"Our people need to be educated about animals and understand that animals cannot perform magic," he said.

He also warned that cruelty to animals was a criminal offence, saying people should not harm the monkey.

- African Eye