Many versions of the story exist. It is said that a woman went into the fitting room where she was devoured by a massive reptile.
People only realized something was amiss when her children, who were waiting outside the fitting room, went to look for their mother and found that she was eaten by the snake. According to some, she could be heard yelling “Inyoga!” before the snake ate her.
Another version is that a snake managed to eat the foot of a child whilst his mother was busy shopping for clothes.
The Middelburg Observer went to investigate.
By drawing pictures and elaborate hand signs, the journalists were able to communicate with some of the Chinese shop owners in the Sanlam Centre.
Many of the shop owners admitted that they have heard the rumor. One shop owner said that he had customers refusing to go into his fitting room because they were afraid that they too will fall prey to the man-eating snake.
Another shopkeeper said that she heard that it happened in Ermelo, not Middelburg. She said that she eats snake, but have never heard of a snake eating a human.
“I eat snake in China. But it is very expensive. I will eat it here but I have never seen a place where you can buy them from so I haven’t eaten one in South Africa,” the woman said.
According to people conducting business in the area, a municipal representative visited the area on Wednesday to try and catch the reptile. He showed people a picture of a snake with what seemed like a human inside it and asked if anyone knows about it.
“I have seen a python back in my country, but there is no snake here. That is just lies that people are spreading. Why I don’t know,” one of the customers at a hair salon in the centre said. They too were asked about the snake by someone who claimed that he was from the municipality who showed them a picture on his phone.
One shop owner said that he suspects someone owns a pet snake that might have scared a customer.
Although almost everyone, except two of the Chinese shop owners, knew about the rumor. None of the fitting rooms viewed had any sign or even a picture of a snake.”I don’t know why they are spreading these rumors. Maybe they hate China,” a woman working in one of the shops said.
• Captain Khanyisile Zwane, police spokeswoman, said that no such incidents have been reported and that no one has been reported missing.
“It is untrue. We have heard about the stories. But no one has come to us for help. Surely if someone went missing her family would come to the police about it?”
