Africa-Press – South-Africa. A 33-year-old sangoma (traditional healer) from KwaQwasha village in Ulundi, northern KwaZulu-Natal, was arrested for the alleged rape and assault of three teenage amathwasa (trainees).
Police spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel Nqobile Gwala confirmed the arrest, saying the victims were aged 14, 15 and 18 respectively.
A police insider said the alleged perpetrator’s modus operandi included making each of his victims drink two full quarts of beer, one full glass of vodka, and smoke a joint of dagga and one loose cigarette.
“Once the victims were drunk and high, he would ask the other two to cover their bodies and heads with blankets, and rape the one who was not under the covers,” the insider said.
The rapes occurred in an outside building at the accused’s home, where the three amathwasa were staying for their training.
According to the insider, one of the victims was impregnated.
The accused cannot be named to protect the identities of the minor victims.
An uncle of one of the victims told News24 the accused would claim he was invoking the spirit of the ancestors by making them drunk and high.
He said:
According to the uncle, the accused told the victims that he would use his “strong traditional concoctions” to escape arrest and prosecution if they tried taking the matter to law enforcement authorities.
“My niece was the accused’s youngest victim, aged 14. She went to the accused’s home for her traditional healing in August. A few weeks later, she managed to find some strength and called her sister at eShowe to report the abuse,” he said.
The accused was subsequently arrested and made his first appearance in the Mahlabathini Magistrate’s Court last Friday, 8 September. Mahlabathini Magistrate’s Court
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The matter was postponed to 28 September for a formal bail application.
The families of the victims called on the State to oppose bail.
The sister of the youngest victim said: “The girls are still traumatised. My sister is even refusing to go back to school because of the shame and trauma. Yes, social workers are giving them counselling, but it’s possible that they (victims) will not recover from this.”
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