More bad luck in witchcraft trial

2002-04-15 18:33

Durban - The bad luck which has marred a witchcraft trial in the Durban High Court and which has seen the death of eight people close to the trial over the past three years, continued on Monday when the trial had to be postponed because one of the accused was ill.

Since the start of the trial of 12 people accused of beating to death, a woman they accused of practising witchcraft, four of their co-accused and four witnesses, including the chief State witness and two policemen, have died, all from illness. There are now eight left to stand trial.

Judge Thumba Pillay last year commented that "something strange" was going on after both he and State advocate Fred Bunting fell ill too.

During the last two days of the trial last year, Pillay's secretary fell on the court stairs and her bag was stolen.

On Monday the judge said the court would make inquiries regarding suspected ringleader Masebenza Mhlekwa's health after he was referred to a doctor because he was ill.

The State claims the 12, members of the Uganda shack settlement committee in Umlazi, south of Durban, met on September 5, 1997, and decided that Hluphekile Madlala (69) had to be killed because she was practising witchcraft.

Later that night, Madlala's tent-home was set alight. She was rescued by family members who managed to pull her out of the burning tent.

She was put in another tent while members of the community reported the incident to the committee and here she was bludgeoned to death a while later by a group of people. The post-mortem found that she had died from "blunt wounds to the neck and face".

The trial dragged on for three years due to numerous postponements because of illness suffered by the accused and witnesses.

Former co-accused Mcwera Sigepu (22), Hlabumkhosi Dojyeni (35), Benson Danisa (52) and Nkosiyezwe Macebo (33) started dying, one after the other, shortly after their first appearance.

The remaining eight, Masebenza Mhlekwa (35), Sipho Gasa (22), Mdingiseni Shabane (59), Nzima Mjoli (56), Majuda Nyathi (59), Thandukwazi Magcaba (36) and Bheki Ndlovu (33) appeared in court on Monday.

The trial was postponed to Tuesday after Mhlekwa became ill and was referred to a doctor.

All the accused are out on bail.

- SAPA