Update: Mass grave rumours finally laid to rest
The National Prosecuting Authority has officially confirmed there was no evidence of a mass grave.
DREAMS of cruelty to farm workers and mass graves in Dududu about a year ago drew politicians like bees to a honeypot.
It now seems that the whole grisly saga was nothing but the proverbial storm in a teacup.
KZN Premier Senzo Mchunu and other high ranking provincial politicians gathered round a taped off area on Glenroy Farm after sangoma Bongekile ‘Mshanyelo’ Nkomo – who lived in Northern Natal – managed to convince them that ‘restless spirits’ of the dead had come to her in a vision.
There was speculation at the time that they were all farm labourers or prisoners who were bought for one cent by the sugar cane farmer, Walter Lindsay, and used as farm labourers about 50 years ago.
Family of Mr Lindsay vehemently denied any wrong-doing, but politicians preferred to believe the sangoma.
Now the National Prosecuting Authority has officially confirmed there was no evidence of a mass grave.
As reported in the Times newspaper, Madeleine Fullard, head of the NPA’s Missing Persons Task Team, said the team of forensic anthropologists, archaeologists and investigators had excavated the site pointed out by the sangoma.
“The site excavated had been identified as a burial site. The task team found that the earth had not been previously excavated. Our excavations went as far as the rock bed,” the Times reported her as saying.
“It was determined that Glenroy Farm did not contain any human remains or any indicators of burials.”
However sangoma Nkomo is still adamant that she was correct.
Quoted in the Times, she said: “Why was I not part of the investigation? The premier said nothing should be done without me, but the diggings were done without my presence. I want to know why.”
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