Prayers for 'bewitched school'

2007-09-06 18:15

by Miranda Andrew and Wendy Nzama

Johannesburg - Teachers and management at a northern KwaZulu-Natal school are holding prayer meetings for pupils who they believe are possessed by evil spirits.

Thembinkosi Mngomezulu, the principal of Manhlenga High School, said on Thursday he believed his pupils were bewitched because they cried continuously in class. He said this was the first time something like this had happened at the school.

This follows the murder of two women whom pupils apparently believed had bewitched them.

Holding prayer meetings

"Lately, the pupils have just been crying and we believe they were bewitched. We believe there are evil spirits at this school," he said,

Mngomezulu, who is also a member of the Manguzi community, said they had started holding prayer meetings for the pupils.

"The prayers are for those who are possessed and those who have not yet been possessed," he said.

The Education Department joined in the prayer service on Wednesday, he said.

The principal broke his silence after pupils from his school were implicated in burning two 60-year-old women.

Doused with petrol and set alight

Police spokesperson Jabulani Mdletshe said earlier that police believed the double murder had been pre-planned and that residents from the Manguzi area had helped a group of pupils commit the crime.

The two women - Mangubane Msaba Zungu and Qibile Thabitha Thusi - were dragged from their home and taken to a sports field where they were doused with petrol and set alight.

Mngomezulu also admitted that school pupils were involved in the crime.

"The pupils did not take part in the killing as learners from this school, but as members of the community because the incident took place after school hours," he said.

Local police also believe this was an attempt by pupils to rid their school of evil spirits.

- SAPA