HER children and their safety were her only thoughts as she lay helplessly on the ground doubled up in pain from the burns she had sustained when a mob allegedly set her alight on Monday.
Katrina Nkovani (52), whose husband stood helplessly nearby, tried to lift her burned hands as she called for her children. “Let them come, I want to see them before I die,” she said.
“It doesn’t matter what they believe. God will defend me… I didn’t do anything,” she said, as she lay there waiting for help to arrive.
Nkovani, in the company of her husband, had apparently gone to the Nkuna family’s home earlier on in the day, to clear herself of allegations that she had been responsible for the death of a 34-old-woman from the Nkuna family. The 34-year-old reportedly died under mysterious circumstances last week, and was buried over the weekend.
It is not clear whether Nkovani went to the deceased’s family to plead guilty or claim her innocence. According to some villagers, she had gone to confess that she was responsible for the death. “This led to people forming a mob and they dragged her to the tribal offices where she was told to confess her story in front of everyone,” explained one of the villagers, who wished to remain anonymous.
On the way to the tribal office, a member of the mob set her alight.
Community policing forum deputy chairperson, Lenard Shiviti, called the police when the woman was set alight.
“Had I not called the police, the people would probably have finished her off with stones and rocks,” he said.
Shiviti also said Nkovani had gone to see the deceased’s family, “to try and sort out some issues related to her death”.
The police have a different version of what occurred. According to Limpopo police spokesperson, Col Ronél Otto, the deceased’s family and Nkovani and her family, went to the traditional healer together regarding the 34-year-old’s death.
“It is believed that the traditional healer told the Nkuna family that Nkovani was responsible for the death of their loved one and that’s when the mob became angry and poured petrol over her, followed by setting her alight,” Otto said.
She said there was no immediate arrest made in connection with this incident.
Nkovani was admitted to Nkhensani Hospital in Giyani, but died from her injuries on Tuesday. A case of murder is now being investigated, Otto confirmed.
