With at least one victim tentatively named as 25-year-old Zanele Hlatshwayo, the Estcourt cannibalism case continues to attract massive media coverage.

The original story in full HERE.

We know that five people have been arrested. Four were arrested on Friday, August 18, each found with body parts or having allegedly confessed to eating body parts. A fifth suspect was arrested on Tuesday (August 22).

Four of the suspects have been named and they are: Nino Mbatha (32), Lindokhule Masondo (32), Sthembiso Sithole (31) and Lungisani Magubane (30). The fifth has yet to appear in court and has not been officially named.

At a community meeting in the Amangwe area held by IFP Councillor Mthembeni Majola on Monday, attended by plus-minus 700 people, 300 of them allegedly told the councillor that they knew what Nyanga Nino Mbatha was up to and had gone to him for traditional help.

Also read: Breaking News: DA councillors hint at possible second victim killed to feed Estcourt cannibals

Also read: Hundreds admit to eating human flesh

Also read: Update: Flesh-eating cannibals appear in court

Here the story gets confusing and depending on who you talk to, they either knew he used human flesh in his muti (medicine) and still took it, or they knew he killed people and used human flesh but they saw him for more traditional muti not containing any human flesh.

Speaking directly to Councillor Majola, he had the following to say:

“At the community meeting, at least 300 people in the community knew Mbatha killed people and ate their flesh, but they did not eat any themselves,” he explains.

Ironically, this version only became the defacto version shortly after police announced that more arrests were expected.

Cllr Majola insists there is more than one victim, as the body parts were from different sexes. He also stressed that Nyanga Mbatha was chased away from Ladysmith by rural communities, possibly for the same thing. (This has not been confirmed)

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