The Zulu healer ate human flesh and "prescribed" it to hundreds of people. He is being prosecuted for murder with four other people.
When 32-year-old Nino Mbatha appeared at Estcourt police station in eastern South Africa on 19 August, the officers were initially stunned by the stink that accompanied him. "I've had enough of eating human flesh," he told the incredulous police. As evidence, he exhumed a mutilated hand and leg from a woman.
South Africa has since discovered with horror macabre practices from the heart of KwaZulu-Natal, the fiefdom of controversial President Jacob Zuma. Following his sordid confessions, the inyanga - wizard in Zulu - led the police to his home, where other remains of human bodies were seized.
There would be more than one victim: eight cut ears were discovered in a pot. Suspected of murders and profanation of graves, four other men of the neighborhood were arrested in the stride. The police now suspect the existence of an organized network operating throughout the province. Further arrests could occur, giving this scandal of cannibalism an unprecedented scale. Since the local media stormed Estcourt, a charming little village between Durban and Johannesburg, languages are loosening.
According to the police, the consumption of human flesh by the inhabitants is not uncommon. "At a recent public meeting, we were told about horrible and disgusting practices," Jabu Mbhele, Mayor of Estcourt, told the Sunday Times. Several residents claimed that the suspects had told them to eat the human body to gain strength and courage. There would be hundreds to have consulted the healer and to have ingested members or human organs knowingly.
In recent years, the inhabitants have been constantly afraid of several unexplained disappearances that are now taking on a new meaning. The family of Zanele Hlatshwayo, a young mother of 25 years, has experienced it. At the police station, his relatives have horrifiedly recognized his bloodstained clothes, found at Nino Mbatha.
"We are not KFC! "
At the same time, a body without arms and heads and severely mutilated was found in a field. They have been waiting in anxiety, like other families, for the results of DNA tests to confirm the tragic fate of their relative.
On August 28, the five suspects, all in their thirties, appeared for the second time in Estcourt court, crowded as never before. Head hanging in their hood, they gave up asking for a bail. Outside, a crowd of demonstrators awaited them, ready to do justice themselves. "We are not KFC! ", From the famous chicken fast food chain, read the placards.
"If there really is a traditional healer among the five defendants, we wish him life for life. We are against the bogus healers who use human limbs for their evil remedies, "said Siphiwe Manana, of the traditional healers' organization, who is concerned about the repercussions of this lawsuit.
Because more generally, in Southern Africa, trafficking in human beings and organs is a real scourge. In Malawi, people with albinism are often kidnapped, mutilated and killed for trafficking. According to some beliefs, the use of their organs in sorcery is supposed to bring wealth and prosperity.
In Tanzania, where albinos are equally persecuted, marabouts are even solicited by politicians when they want to win or save a warrant during an election. According to South African law, cannibalism is not a crime. The suspects are therefore prosecuted for murder, attempted murder and possession of human limbs and organs. The next hearing will take place on 28 September.
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