SECUNDA – A traditional healer and alleged abortionist from Uganda and three of her countrymen are on trial in the Secunda Regional Court for charges ranging from human trafficking and kidnapping to rape, attempted murder and illegal abortion.
Ms Lydia Mojemba (34), and Messrs Seyikabi Wilson (46), Jingo Wassua (35) and Njombozi Katiti (43) were arrested in Ogies in July 2018, several days after Ms Mojemba’s niece was abducted in Secunda on Friday, 13 July.
The 20-year-old niece, who was eight months pregnant, was snatched from her home in Sunset Park in Secunda and taken to Ogies where she was allegedly locked in a room and endured abortion attempts before her baby boy was still-born.
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Police at the time said the little body was allegedly wrapped in plastic and dumped next to the train tracks at a bridge in Ogies.
The young woman managed to escape from the room after several days and fled to Secunda where she told her boyfriend about the attack.
He alerted the police.
The victim told the police that her aunt was furious when she met and fell in love with her boyfriend and eventually fell pregnant.
The young woman testified on Wednesday and Thursday, 8 and 9 January in the court dealing with sexual offences on the details of her ordeal.
She told the court that her aunt paid for her to travel from Uganda to South Africa under the premise that she could live with her aunt.
Once she moved in with her aunt, her passport was seized and she was ordered to hand out pamphlets on the streets and to also extract money from men.
All the accused are also charged with being illegally in the country.
Ms Phumzile Nkosi is prosecuting and the presiding magistrate is Mr Graham Cupido.
The case is postponed to 25 February.
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