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Criminals resort to sangomas
25/10/2007 17:35 - (SA)
Johannesburg - A new phenomenon of criminals resorting to sangomas for ritual ceremonies they believe would keep them out of jail has reared its head in at least two provinces.
Two such incidents were reported on Wednesday, one in Johannesburg, Gauteng, and the other in Mthatha in the Eastern Cape.
Ten men were arrested at a sangoma's home in Ennerdale, south of Johannesburg, after they allegedly robbed a house and shot dead a 70-year-old man.
They were nabbed minutes after laying their loot and guns before a sangoma for a ritual ceremony, police spokesperson Lungelo Dlamini said on Thursday.
The sangoma was also arrested.
Dlamini said the men would appear in the Westonaria Magistrate's Court on Friday.
In the Eastern Cape, four men were arrested at a sangoma's house for possession of unlicensed firearms.
Captain Zamakulungisa Jozana said the men were taken into custody while they were consulting a sangoma for a cleansing ceremony.
Nabbed while sneezing
Jozana said the four visited the sangoma for muti they believed would keep them from being arrested or from being convicted in court.
"They were arrested while still sneezing after they...used the muti."
Jozana said the sangoma told the police that the four were his clients and that he had helped them with muti previously.
Four chickens, which were also to be used in the cleansing ceremony, were found dead on the floor.
Police recovered an R5 automatic rifle and two magazines with 11 rounds of ammunition, and a .38 revolver with six rounds.
He said two of the men led the police to Tsolo where two 9mm bullets were recovered.
Jozana said police were investigating whether there was a link between the four and other crime incidents in the area.
He said the R5 rifle was apparently stolen.
They were due to appear in the Mthatha Magistrate's court on Friday.
"The sangoma was not arrested because he had done nothing," he said.
Dlamini said the arrests in Johannesburg followed a murder and robbery at a smallholding in Jagfontein near Randfontein.
Mike du Plessis, 70, was shot dead in front of his wife Sannie on their smallholding. The attackers fled in two bakkies that belonged to Du Plessis.
Herbs, jackal skin
Dlamini said a policeman later spotted one of the stolen bakkies in Ennerdale. This led police to the sangoma's house.
Glass jars of herbs and a jackal skin were found after the arrest.
A framed certificate stating that the sangoma was a member of the Bantu Muti Herbs organisation was also found.
Six firearms were recovered, along with cash believed to have been taken from the Du Plessis home, Dlamini said.
- SAPA
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