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Bishop held in muti murder
02/05/2006 22:27 - (SA)
Riot Hlatshwayo
Thohoyandou - A bishop and two sangomas are due to appear in court on Wednesday in connection with a muti murder.
A man was found dead with his genitals and tongue removed. His girlfriend's lips were cut off, but she survived.
Bishop Joseph Tanzwani, who heads the Holiness Apostolic Church, as well sangomas Mukondeleli Phosha, 54, and Shumani Dzebu, 31, are being tried in Thohoyandou magistrate's court.
They have not been asked to plead yet to the charges, including those of robbery, and are being kept in custody.
The couple, Maanda Sendedza and girlfriend Nyelisani Sidimela, were attacked on October 23 last year.
Dzebu and Phosha were arrested the following month, a few days after a passerby had found the victims in the veld at Makonde-Shadani village near Thohoyandou.
The bishop was arrested two weeks ago.
Superintendent Ailwei Mushavhanamadi of Vhembe police said more arrests were expected.
Preacher also arrested
Tanzwani is the second man of the cloth to be arrested in April in connection with ritual murders in Limpopo.
Shadrack Madiwane, 28,, a preacher at the Apostolic Church in Mandela Rivercross village near Burgersfort and two suspected accomplices are expected to appear in Tubatse magistrate's court again on Friday.
They were arrested last month after a man's body parts were found buried in and around the church.
Limpopo Premier Sello Moloto recently announced that the government had set up a police task team to try and resolve about 50 ritual murder cases in Limpopo dating back to 1994.
- African Eye
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