Girls on 'Satanist kidnap list'

2003-11-02 10:24

Sphiwe Mboyane

Johannesburg - Police have discovered a "hit list" with more than 100 names of school girls who have been earmarked for kidnapping by a group said to be practising Satanism.

This was after police had raided a house in Randburg which was pointed out by an 18-year-old girl who claimed she was kept there after she was abducted earlier in the week. The girl subsequently escaped unharmed.

Thoko Mashiya was lured to the house by a middle-aged black woman she met while walking towards the Randburg library early last week.

She said the woman had first engaged her in a polite conservation and before she knew it she suffered a blackout after the woman had started rubbing her arms.

"The next thing I saw I was sitting naked in front of two hefty men in a dark room. I have no recollection of how I got there and when," said Thoko.

She said she was told by the two men, who spoke in a foreign langauge among themselves but translated into English when they spoke with her, that she has an evil spirit and to get rid of it, she must sleep with one of them.

"At the time I was slowly regaining my consciousness and told them to let me go and fetch a friend to join us. The one guy touched my hands and suddenly there were yellow flames all around my arms.

"After a while, the man told me that his ancestors had tipped him I might run away. He said that won't help me anyway as I would be back in 20 minutes anyway. At the time I was fully conscious and when I realised the door was open, I bolted and ran to a friend's place - naked," she said.

Thoko's father, a senior manager at correctional services, later arrived to fetch her after he was telephoned. He rushed his daughter to a nearby clinic where a doctor confirmed she had not been penetrated before going to the Randburg police station where a charge of indecent assault was laid.

A 28-year-old Ugandan man was arrested and a three-page list of names of girls from the surrounding areas was found in his possession. Thoko's name was last in the list.

"I am worried that many other girls have fallen victim to these satanic deeds and their parents have no clue. The police should invite parents around Randburg to check if their children's names are not on it," said Thoko's distraught father.

He said his daughter was still traumatised days after the incident, and that she spent sleepless nights trembling. She hardly eats. She has been attending counselling sessions offered by police.

Police spokesperson Sergeant Sanku Tsunke confirmed the arrest of the suspect. Tsunke said the suspect appeared in court on Wednesday this week and was released on a bail of R3 000.

The case was postponed to November 28 and investigations are still continuing.

Sources said that the girls mentioned in the mysterious list will be interviewed in an effort to build the case against the suspects. The woman who lured Thoko and the friend of the suspects have not yet been arrested.

- City Press