Horrific revelations in muti murder trial
Some of the accused knew each other from a traditional school claiming to teach people to become a "nyanga" or a traditional healer.
MBOMBELA – Gruesome testimonies emerged this week in the trial of six men who stand accused of slitting a three-year-old’s throat and selling off her body parts for muti.
Lutricia Nkentjane’s uncle, Louis Sithole, is one of those accused of her kidnapping and murder in October 2015.
He appeared alongside Sfiso Mhloli Mazibe, Themba Myambo, Jabulani Ndlovu, Thembinkosi Maziya and Michael Mandla Mokoena in the Circuit Court of the North Gauteng High Court this week.
Read more here: Men acquitted for muti murder
According to their statements, some of the accused knew each other from a traditional school claiming to teach people to become a “nyanga” or a traditional healer.
Capt Bhuti Makagula testified on Wednesday that Ndlovu, in a walkthrough of the crime scene, had shown the police a burned-out shack where he saw the body of the girl in a black plastic bag.
“He saw the body and the throat was cut open.” He also stated Ndlovu had seen blood seeping out of the bag.
Maj Samson Shongwe testified that during a similar procedure with police by Myambo, he took them to his house and showed them the remains of the child.
“The suspect took out four bottles. All of them were white in color. Two of the bottles he showed us he said had pink powder and some of the child’s brain in it.”
The second had charcoal and parts of her lower left leg. The third with brownish powder and contained her left hand.
As he read this testimony, Lutricia’s family audibly gasped. Her parents attended proceedings.
“He said he had bought all four bottles from Ndlovu for R6 000,” Shongwe said. He added that Myambo had signed each page of the statement pertaining to the walkthrough.
Muti murder trial : Six year old victim alive while body parts cut off
State prosecutor Adv Sonja Ntuli read Mokoena’s statement to the court. He said he had known Mazibe and Myambo from the school. Myambo had contacted him about wanting to steal a child.
Mazibe and Myambo fetched Mokoena in Myambo’s double-cab bakkie on the day. Myambo was making brief calls to an unknown person in the vehicle in front of them. Myambo told Mokoena that they had made an arranged payment of R15 000 to Sithole, the child’s uncle, which was left under a stone in the bushes for him.
After 20 minutes Mazibe got into the vehicle with a child. The girl had a white cloth over her mouth. He could see she was crying but could not make a noise. She was wearing a white dress with red dots.
They drove to Myambo’s house in Schoemansdal and took the child inside. Myambo paid Mokoena and Mazibe R5 000 each. Just before they left, Ndlovu arrived. The last time Mokoena saw the child, she was still alive.
Outside the court chambers, Lutricia’s father, Moses Nkentjane, said he was still having sleepless nights. “They still haven’t found my child’s body. The police must find out from the accused where she is. I still want my child back and I want justice.”
Judge Mlindelwa Makhanya postponed the trial until October 30.
