Mystery surrounds mother’s death

The body of a mother from Wedela was recently found in Randfontein, after consulting a Nigerian herbalist.

Sinah Motsei went missing on Sunday 25 April. She had been in contact with a Nigerian herbalist known as Dr. Subi after resigning from her job. The mother of two daughters wanted him to assist with her legal matters.

On Sunday, after receiving a phone call, Sinah told her daughter, Nthabiseng, that she was going to meet the doctor in town. She left around 13:00 and expected to be back by 15:00. The last contact that the family had with the woman was a phone call at around 20:00.

“She didn’t say anything. I just heard some funny noises. I tried calling her back, but her phone was off, and so was the doctor’s,” says Nthabiseng. She reported her mother missing at Wedela police station, but no action was taken until the Wedela community gathered to complain about the missing woman.

The police paid a visit to the doctor’s office near the Business Hive in Carletonville. The name on the door had been changed. They questioned a man who first said he was looking for a job. He later changed his story and said he was working for Dr. Subi, who, he claimed, had gone back to Nigeria.
The police searched the premises and found a piece of paper with the name of the victim, an undisclosed number of identity documents, belonging to young women, as well as cellular phones and bank cards.

The suspect was arrested and held in police custody. He was later released as there was no concrete evidence that could prove he was guilty.

Sinah Motsei’s body was later found in Randfontein. She had apparently been raped and assaulted, with a fatal wound on the head.

The family is struggling to come to terms with their loss as police continue to investigate the case.