'Witchcraft' problem for cops

2007-03-22 22:56

Nkosana ka Makaula

Nelspruit - Rumours of witchcraft are complicating a police investigation into the suspected suicide of a 13-year-old Mpumalanga girl.

Police said the teenager, Lwazi Madonsela, apparently hanged herself with a scarf from the rafters of her bedroom in Pienaar trust near Nelspruit about 06:00 on Tuesday.

Constable Chicco Nkosi said the girl's grandmother had just given her R10 to pay for her schoolbooks.

"Her granny, Maria Madonsela, 77, who was outside, went back into the house to get her shawl because she wanted join other women in paying their respects to a bereaved neighbour," said Nkosi.

"When she went into Lwazi's bedroom she found her hanging from a scarf."

Nkosi said Madonsela told police she had used a butcher's knife to cut down her granddaughter, but the girl already was dead.

Wanted to lynch 'witch'

He said police had opened an inquest docket, adding that the motive for the suspected suicide was not known.

However, angry members of the community accused a 60-year-old woman neighbour of bewitching the girl.

Police arrested two women - aged 40 and 43 - on Wednesday after a mob wanted to lynch the old woman.

They are facing charges under the Suppression of Witchcraft Act of 1913.

Nkosi said the 60-year-old woman had gone to the girl's home on Monday and told the family she had dreamt that lots of people would converge on their home.

However, when police questioned the old woman, she apparently confessed to having "bewitched" the girl

Nkosi said: "Accusing someone of witchcraft is a crime - that's why we arrested the two women.

"Then, when the 60-year-old woman confessed, we were put in a really difficult position.

"We have a unique situation here. We have an inquest docket.

Arrested women 'weren't wrong'

"Then we arrest two women for making unfounded accusations.

"Then it turns out that the arrested women were not wrong, after all.

"How are we going to prosecute the 60-year-old woman? What do we charge her with?

"The police are bound to protect the 60-year-old woman. We cannot allow anybody to take the law into their own hands."

- African Eye