'Bewitched' former MP hiding

2003-10-04 22:18

Dominic Mahlangu

Johannesburg - A former ANC MP has gone into hiding, saying her "political comrades" in the Mpumalanga government are using witchcraft to get rid of her.

Thembeka Gamndana told City Press several attempts to silence her - and plans to have her killed - have finally forced her out of the province, where she is employed by the department of health.

This is not the first time a high-ranking politician has claimed her colleagues were using witchcraft against her.

A former education MEC in KwaZulu-Natal, Faith Gasa, made similar allegations two years ago after being sacked from the provincial legislature by her Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) colleague, Premier Lionel Mtshali.

Gasa, who was at loggerheads with Mtshali for alleged mismanagement, set tongues wagging when she refused to even go into her office, insisting her IFP predecessor had bewitched her office.

Now, in a replay of Gasa's allegations of evil spells, Gamndana said prominent people in Mpumalanga were out to silence her, if not "to remove me permanently from society".

Tension

Gamndana claims to have been kidnapped about three weeks ago, but says she was able to run away.

She said she was taken to the house of a traditional healer and told her political views were causing tension in the province.

Gamndana alleges politicians in the province were casting spells on her and that most of them relied heavily on traditional doctors.

"I have their names," she said from the Gauteng house where City Press interviewed her.

Potion

On the day of her alleged kidnapping, Gamndana claims she was forced to drink herbal potions and traditional concoctions that made her delirious and sick.

"Those behind my abduction will stop at nothing, they are determined to cause me harm," she claimed, adding: "I have stumbled across sensitive information that links politicians to witchcraft against other politicians.

"Several attempts have been made to bewitch me, but my ancestors have managed so far to protect me," she said.

Missing

Enquiries made to the Mpumalanga department of health revealed that Gamndana has been missing from work for about a month.

Those who work in the same office with her said they have been worried about her disappearance.

"We've been worried about her. It's been weeks since we last saw her and we've been battling to make contact with her," said an official from the health department in Nelspruit.

Mpumalanga health department spokesperson Dumisani Mlangeni said he was not in a position to comment about Gamndana as he did not have all the relevant information.

Attempts to piece together Gamndana's allegations and her standing in the area revealed that senior civil servants, including ANC members, have isolated her over the past few months because of her controversial views on politics and traditional healing.

- City Press