Witchcraft Act being finalised

2007-05-07 14:08

Oris Mnisi and Zinkie Sithole

Bushbuckridge - Mpumalanga is finalising tough new laws that will enable courts to jail anyone involved in "sniffing out" or persecuting people accused of witchcraft.

The proposed Mpumalanga Witchcraft Act will allow prosecutors to impose fines up to R5 000 or prison terms up to five years.

"We are tightening up the draft, after which we will present it to the provincial executive committee for comment," said Simphiwe Kunene, spokesperson for provincial local government and housing.

The Act hopes to reduce the number of withcraft related violence in the province, such as incident that took place in Utah village, Bushbuckridge, on Freedom Day.

A 38-year-old woman was accused of witchcraft when a 14-year-old cattle herder collapsed and died.

The boy had complained that he wasn't feeling well and strange things, which he couldn't describe, had been biting him. When he collapsed, he his nose and ears were bleeding.

A shirtless appearance

Constable Robert Makhubele said the community had held meetings all day that Friday and police received a tip-off that a mob was planned to burn the woman and her family to death.

Police found a riotous mob walking down the road. The mob soon started throwing stones, damaging five police vans.

Some officers also were badly assaulted and had to be treated at Mapulaneng Hospital.

Fifty-four people were arrested that night, either while asleep in bed or attending the boy's night vigil.

Some of those who were in bed appeared without shirts in Mhala Magistrate's Court last week.

Protective custody

All 54 accused were not asked to plead to charges of public violence.

Fourteen of the accused are aged 16 and 17 and were released into their parent's custody, while the rest were released on R200 bail each. They were told to appear in court again on May 21.

The woman and her family are in protective custody.

- African Eye