Update: Witchcraft link to death of woman shot 11 times

A 62 year old woman was shot and killed in Bergville. The woman who has been identified as Hlaleleni Layi Mazibuko was outside her house on the verandah when she was shot and killed.

She was shot 11 times and left for dead.

According to the ward councillor, Kenneth Simelane in the area, residents believe the killing was witchcraft related.

“It is believed community members say the woman was alleged by her attackers to have used witchcraft 20 years ago to resolve a matter. The family she targeted took revenge on the woman on Thursday shooting her 11 times,” says a resident.

“People who believed in witchcraft should not be ignored, such beliefs will grow by generation and generation to come. Even though it cannot be practically proven. Our youth are being misled.

We need to educate our communities about such evils and to appeal to them that talking is better than violence,” said the councillor.

It is unknown who the woman is alleged to have attacked using witchcraft or the outcome or why the family waited 20 years to extract revenge.

It is not unusual in Zulu culture to believe in curses and witchcraft or to wait a considerable time to take revenge. Residents in the area have stressed that the woman was not a Sangoma.

According to police, they are investigating a case of murder. “The motive for the murder is as yet not clear,” said police spokesperson Charmaine Struwig.

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