A traditional healer, Sibusiso Ndawonde of the Machunwini area, Msinga, has been charged for the alleged rape of four men aged between 15 and 17.
The state alleges the traditional healer deceived the community by approaching the victims’ elders. He informed the elders that the male victims in their household are sick and need traditional help, which he will be able to assist.
This traditional healer informed the elders of each family that he had a “prophecy” that these families had problems and he had the solution to the problem. He then managed to convince the family of each of the victims that he has to take the victims with him to his house at Msinga where he will be able to use traditional medicine to heal and cure the victim. This traditional healer lured each male victim on its own using the same modus operandi.
He used to leave his wife in their bedroom and spend the night with the young male victims in his traditional healing room. He then use to rape the teenagers for the entire night, stating that the only way to heal and cure the male victims of their illness and ill omen is by raping them for two weeks.
Each victim was kept in his traditional rooms and raped for two weeks. One of the victims managed to escape reported matter to his parents. A case was then registered at the local police station for further investigation. When the Greytown Family Violence, Child and Sexual Offences Unit members went to trace and arrest the traditional healer, they found that there were two other young males inside the traditional healing room.
These males looked intimidated and uncomfortable to speak. When interviewed by the Greytown FCS members they revealed that they were being raped by the traditional healer. Then further cases of rape were registered and the traditional healer was placed in police custody. He appeared before the court , bail was successfully opposed and is still in custody. The case was remanded to Pietermaritzburg High Court on November 10.
KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Commissioner, Lieutenant General Mmamonnye Ngobeni commended the Greytown FCS Unit for arresting the alleged rape suspect. ‘I want to appeal to the community to always be vigilant and be aware of the sexual predators so that our children do not become victims of this horrendous crime,” she said.
