Centurion herbal shops torched following ‘muthi’ murder
Angry community members torched ‘muthi’ shops in protest after Maria Skhosana’s mutilated body was found in the area.
Rubber bullets and stun grenades were fired at a group of protesters who were allegedly involved in torching muthi shops in Olievenhoutbosch on Sunday evening.
The protest comes after the body mutilated body of 40-year-old Maria Skhosana was found dumped near the Mnandi cemetery on Wednesday.
Police spokesperson Brigadier Mathapelo Peters said preliminary reports suggest that the incident stemmed from the arrest of a 27-year-old man suspected of being behind the murder of the woman.
“A group of people went on the rampage and raided a number of shops alleged to be selling muthi,” she said
Peters said the group initially started earlier in the day, going into the shops, removing muthi-products and setting them alight, but were dispersed by police.
ALSO READ: Family devastated after missing woman (40) found mutilated
An even bigger crowd started again later in the evening and attacked and burnt some shops that were part of a chain of stores known to be selling muthi.
“An unconfirmed number of shops were damaged and some set alight,” Peters said.
“The group allegedly became violent and attacked the police nyala and the members responded by firing stun grenades and rubber bullets.”
She said police found another group allegedly looting a shop and arrested four suspects.
Skhosana was last seen by her family on 27 November last year and reported missing to the police the next day.
Her partner Thamisanqa Mahlangu said the woman, who was four months pregnant, had decided to have an abortion and had left that day to have the procedure performed, but never returned.
He previously told Rekord that he believed Maria’s killer lured women to his “surgery” under the pretense of being an abortion specialist, takes their money, kills them and steals their body parts.
“Police must investigate who else he has killed and who are the other people he is working with,” he said.
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