Witchcraft concerns community

MOKOPANE – When superstitious beliefs go unchallenged, they gain momentum until it is difficult to separate urban legend from reality. Witchcraft activities have been a part of rural life for decades and often strike fear into the hearts of residents in these areas.
Eyewitness accounts of possible witchcraft activities has surfaced over the last few weeks and community members told Northern News that they are concerned that those engaging in witchcraft might be involved in criminal activities which include the trafficking of human body parts.
This grim claim was echoed in March when the Mahwelereng police was called out to intervene when an angry mob threated to kill a Zimbabwean man thought to be involved in witchcraft in Mzombane (next to the Platreef mining project).
The man was travelling from Venda and were caught by the community while engaging what was suspected to be practices commonly associated to witchcraft.
The police arrived and found animal bones in his possession. The angry mob claimed that these bones were human bones and threatened to burn the man alive. Constable Sello Leso, spokesperson for Mahwelereng police station, said that he addressed the bystanders, but the mob refused to calm down and were adamant that the man was busy with witchcraft. The police then removed the man and assisted him to return to his home. “These kind of activities are prevalent within our jurisdiction through very few of them result in an actual killing,” Constable Leso explained and added that he has embarked on ‘community indulgence programmes’ to educate the community.
Another incident of supposed witchcraft was reported earlier in April, when an elderly woman was caught performing so-called rituals in a yard in Extension 19.
Witnesses said that she was sitting naked in the middle of the yard at about 21:00, sprinkling an unknown substance out of a calabash. Residents in the area called her a witch, but police reported that the woman was mentally disabled and removed her to a place of safety.
Malose Masinga, a Mzombane community leader told Northern News that the community in the village condemn witchcraft activities and will protect themselves from any mischievous acts.