Snake saves woman

2004-06-29 11:51

Riot Hlatshwayo and Victor Hlungwane

Giyani - A mamba came to the rescue of a young woman who was about to be cut up so her body parts could be sold for muti.

Just as 21-year-old Beauty Mashimbye's eyes were about to be gouged out on Saturday afternoon, the snake bit her attacker's leg.

"I knew very well that I was about to die, but God just heard my prayers and sent a snake to bite one of my attackers," she said.

Mashimbye had been attacked while walking home in Hluvula Baji Section of Tiyani village near Giyani about 17:00.

"I heard people talking behind me and when I turned around, I saw a man and woman wearing black gowns, like traditional mourning gear," she said.

She said she was still thinking how strange it was that a man would wear such a gown, when the couple grabbed her by the arms and dragged her into the veld next to the road.

A black car pulled up and two men got out and helped the couple load her into the boot.

She was driven to bushes in the mountainous Manaxi area near Thohoyandou where she was made to sit with her back to a tree, with her hands tied behind her back and her legs apart.

"The woman made a phone call to someone she called 'boss'. She spoke Tshi-Venda and said: 'We've got the prey, what are the instructions?'"

The cellphone's speaker was on, and Mashimbye heard a man on the other side instruct the woman to cut off her body parts while she was alive, so that the muti would be strong.

"He said they must cut off my private parts, nipples, lower lip, tongue and hair," she said.

The woman then offered to let her use the phone for a final farewell to a relative.

She phoned her boyfriend but could only say "please take care of our baby boy, I'm about to be? " before the woman snatched the phone away.

Snake appeared

The woman sharpened a knife on a rock and was about to remove Beauty's eyes, when the snake appeared.

"The woman jumped up and shouted 'snake, snake!'".

She'd been bitten, so one of the men took the rope from Mashimbye's hands to make a tourniquet and stop the venom from spreading.

He then carried her to the car, possibly to take her to hospital, while Mashimbye leapt up and ran away.

She spent the night in the bush and found her way home on Sunday and reported the case to the police.

Provincial police spokesperson Senior Superintendent Motlafela Mojapelo confirmed that a case of attempted murder had been opened.

He said three woman had been admitted to Elim hospital near Makhado for snake bites on Saturday, but all had died.

He said police would investigate if any of them was linked to the attack on Mashimbye.

Malamulele pastor, Dr Elijah Mtileni, said God could use anything to save people's lives, including snakes.

- African Eye