On 9 October 2019, members from the Pinetown Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences Unit arrested a 32 year old traditional healer in Durban for two cases of rape. During the month of August and September, two cases of rape were reported at KwaDabeka police station.
The first victim who is originally from Ixopo alleges that she met the traditional healer in a taxi on the way to Port Shepstone. While on route the traditional healer approached the victim and told her that he could see that her family is under a dark cloud and he will have to go there and perform some sort of a traditional cleansing ceremony.
The girl agreed and a date was arranged for him to go to her home at Ixopo where upon arrival, he performed a cleansing ceremony. After he was done he told the family that he needed to take the lady with him to Durban for cleansing at the sea. The family agreed and the traditional healer took her with him. When they arrived, they went to Durban South Beach where a cleansing ceremony was performed before going to the suspect’s house in Fannin Extension in Clermont.
It was at this Fannin Extension home where the victim alleges that she was given a traditional concoction to drink by the suspect. After drinking the concoction she then felt dizzy and passed out, when she woke up later she realised that she had been raped.
A second victim, a 27 year old woman from Port Shepstone reported a rape case to KwaDabeka police in September; she alleged that the traditional healer had come to her home in Port Shepstone to perform a home cleansing ceremony. After he had completed the cleansing ceremony, he informed the family that he needed to take the 27 year old with him back to Durban where he would further perform another cleansing on the woman.
The family agreed and she came back with him. The two went to Durban South Beach and he cleansed her, he then told her that they needed to go to his house in Fannin Extension where he was to thoroughly cleanse her for a few days. It is in this house where the lady was also given a concoction to drink after which she blacked out and when she woke up she realised she had been raped.
She was locked in the house for several days and the ordeal continued until she managed to escape and report the incident to the police. The detectives from Pinetown FCS managed to lure the traditional healer who was somewhere in the Empangeni back to Durban where he was arrested.
He will be charged with two counts of rape and will appear at the Pinetown Magistrate Court on Friday, 11 October 2019.
South Africa Today – South Africa News
