The body of a traditional healer was retrieved from the Crocodile River by police divers on April 13, three days after he had drowned. While conducting rituals on some of the rocks in the river on April 10, the 64-year-old Wilfred Johannes Mashego slipped and disappeared under the water.

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A friend was with him when the incident occurred, but was unable to do anything to save Mashego.

A provincial police spokesperson, Lieutenant Colonel Jabu Ndubane, said: “Mashego and a prophet were praying and performing rituals in the river. According to the prophet, while performing the rituals, Mashego slipped and disappeared under the water. He tried to spot his friend in the water but there was no sign of him.”

Ndubane said the prophet rushed to the traditional healer’s house to inform his wife. “After sharing the horrifying news with her, they both went to the police station to report it.”

Ndubane said the police received the report of the incident at about 14:00 on Thursday and the SAPS Diving Unit was dispatched to the scene.

The divers assessed the possibility of searching for Mashego, but the rough river conditions were deemed too dangerous to do so. They reassessed the situation on Friday, and again on Saturday with the aid of a drone, but conditions were still considered too dangerous for divers to enter the water.
On Sunday the call was made to proceed with the search for the body. At about 12:00 they retrieved Mashego’s body. He was declared dead by emergency services.

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The Contralesa president, Kgosi Lameck Mokoena, has urged traditional leaders and prophets to be cautious during their rituals. He said the drowning of traditional healers and prophets in the province is of great concern, with people going to rivers without doing proper research and considering their safety.
“They go to these rivers to perform their rituals and enter the river, yet they do not know how to swim. They put their lives and those of the people who go with them in danger,” he said.

According to Mokoena, he acknowledges that these ritual practices are important, although the traditional healers should consider visiting relevant stakeholders for advice.

“They can visit the Department of Tourism so that they can have an understanding of the dangers in the area. If they cannot access the department, they can visit the local municipality as they usually have a help desk to assist with information.”

The acting provincial police commissioner, Major General Dr Zeph Mkhwanazi, has appealed to the community to be extra careful while conducting rituals or baptisms. “As we approach Easter weekend, we would like to alert members of the public who are planning to hold baptism or ritual activities, especially in rivers or dams, to be careful. We encourage members of the public to use safety precautions to prevent loss of life.”

• Last year, a traditional healer trainee drowned in the Rainbow River in the Majembeni Trust, Bushbuckridge, while performing rituals. According to information, three male trainees and a female traditional healer went to the river. During the process, one of the trainees disappeared under the water.