Traditional healer found with body parts appears in Ga-Rankuwa court
A man linked to a young woman’s murder in Brits appeared in court, with his formal bail application set for August 28.
A 26-year-old traditional healer has made his first court appearance after he was allegedly found in possession of human tissue linked to the gruesome murder of a young woman in Brits.
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) regional spokesperson Lumka Mahanjana confirmed that Aizeque Zacaria Cumbuia appeared briefly in the Ga-Rankuwa Magistrates’ Court on a charge of possession of human tissue.
The matter was postponed to August 28 for a formal bail application.
“It is alleged that on August 7, Cumbuia was found in possession of human tissue in a room [in Winterveldt] where he was practising as a traditional healer.
“This was discovered by police officers when they were conducting investigations in relation to a Brits murder case, where a deceased female was killed, body parts removed, and her body burned.”
LISTEN:
The arrest stems from the ongoing investigation into the killing of 20-year-old Gontse Makhubela, whose mutilated, partly burnt, and badly decomposed body was recovered at a dumping site in Elandskraal, Brits, on November 23, 2023.
The victim’s family had reported her missing before the grim discovery.
After months of intensive investigation, two suspects, aged 29 and 38, were arrested earlier this month in Brits.
Police revealed that the 29-year-old suspect lured Makhubela to her death at the request of the 38-year-old, an undocumented Mozambican national claiming to be a traditional healer.
The older suspect allegedly wanted a young woman fitting a particular profile so that her organs could be used for muthi rituals.
Police spokesperson, Brigadier Sabata Mokgwabane, said Makhubela was kidnapped, murdered, dismembered, and her remains set alight.
Mokgwabane said police later recovered her cellphone, which provided crucial evidence linking the suspects to the crime.
The first two suspects are facing charges of murder, kidnapping, and violation of a corpse, while the 26-year-old traditional healer also faces charges under the Immigration Act.
ALSO READ: Six alleged international rhino horn traffickers to appear in Pretoria court
Do you have more information about the story?
Please send us an email to bennittb@rekord.co.za or phone us on 083 625 4114.
For free breaking and community news, visit Rekord’s websites: Rekord East
For more news and interesting articles, like Rekord on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram or TikTok.
