A Pagan Witches TouchStone
CHAPTER TWO
Ideologies of Conflict
Part III.

Muti, ritual sacrifice and human mutilations

Concurrent with the phenomena of Witch killings in South Africa outlined in chapter one is the frequent abduction, murder and dismemberment of men, women and children for the illegal trade in human body parts.

Between 1992 and 2001 the ORCU focused its attention primarily on investigating muti murders; ritualized murders in which human body-parts are harvested for use in magic. During its 10 year existence the ORCU investigated in excess of 300 cases of muti-related crimes according to Kobus Jonker.

The word ‘muti’ is a Zulu word meaning ‘medicine’. African traditions ascribe supernatural properties to medicines derived from both plant and animal sources. In extreme circumstances, unethical traditional healers resort to using muti made from human body parts, a practice widely eschewed by traditional healers.

quote: According to traditional African beliefs, the use of human organs or other body parts increases the power of muti. An important distinction needs to be made between those who only use plants and herbs for purposes of healing, i.e. traditional healers, and those who also use human organs and other body parts, i.e. witch doctors. This paper deals with the latter category. Several instances have been reported about the trafficking of persons within South Africa or from neighbouring countries to South Africa whose organs or other body parts ended up in the muti of witch doctors. Although it could not be established with certainty, there appear to be certain organised gangs which provide human organs or other body parts to witch doctors… Authorities generally prosecute only the perpetrators of the murder and not the witch doctor who has ordered the organs or other body parts. Unless the organs or other body parts are found in the possession of the witch doctor, the police have no evidence to link the killing to the witch doctor who often denies knowing the perpetrators. Given the belief that witch doctors possess supernatural powers, it is found that members of the community are often scared to testify against them. [50]

It is important to note here that whilst muti murder is seldom associated with actual Witchcraft or Satanism in the press, there are exceptions where such association is not accompanied by or based on actual evidence of the existence or influence of Witchcraft. Muti murder is not in any way associated with Witchcraft as practiced by modern Pagan Witches, nor with Satanism.

The ORCU never-the-less defined ‘occult-related crime’ as,
…any human conduct that constitutes any legally recognized crime, the modus operandi of which relates to or emanates primarily from any belief or seeming belief in the occult, witchcraft, satanism, mysticism, magic, esotericism and the like. Included in the scope of occult-related crime are ritual muti/medicine murders, witch purging, witchcraft-related violence and sect-related practices that pose a threat to the safety and security of the Republic of South Africa and/or its inhabitants. [51]

Available evidence will show that the muti murderers themselves are neither Witches nor Satanists, but are most often paid by unscrupulous so-called traditional healers to harvest human body parts and tissue for use in magic.

In February 2006, 4 year old Connie Ncube was abducted and murdered by traditional healer Mandla Ephraim Zulu because he wanted to remove parts of the young girl’s body to make a muti for financial prosperity. He was hired by hairdresser Lourence Eric Ngoveni. In court investigating officer Captain Jerry Mokgotho described a photograph of Connie’s body. "The flesh around the eyes is completely removed. Her eyes are wide open, her lips cut off and the flesh around the neck and chin removed”. Connie was also missing a little finger on her left hand. [52]

Dr. Hendrik Scholtz, a South African expert in ritualistic murders who took part in a second autopsy of the girl, told a news conference that the body of Connie Ncube bore the hallmarks of a ritualistic death.

He said human sacrifice would be staged by a few people seeking to obtain supernatural powers to be successful in something like business or politics. "The person is sacrificed to awaken the supernatural force required to attain that goal," he said at the National Police Training Centre in Bramshill, southern England. "It is my opinion that the nature of the discovery of the body, features of the external examination including the nature of the wounds, clothing and mechanism of death are consistent with those of a ritual homicide as practiced in Africa," Scholtz said. He said that the fingers, brain and skull of the victims were used as potions and medicines for those who wanted to awaken the supernatural forces. [53]

More recently the Mail & Guardian online reported that KwaDabeka police investigating the beheading of a seven-year-old KwaZulu-Natal boy believe a “witchdoctor syndicate” may have been behind the crime. The body of Vuyani Ngqulunga who went missing on November 1 was found with his head and testicles removed. The perpetrators of this heinous crime were allegedly paid R20 000.

Police spokesperson Captain Bongani Khomo is quoted as saying,
“We believe the boy's private parts were bought by an inyanga [witchdoctor] for muti purposes. We are also investigating the possibility that a witchdoctor syndicate to get body parts for muti is operating in the area… If we find the person who bought the testicles, he will be arrested for being in possession of human tissue.” [54] [55]

Traditional Healers in South Africa opposed to such practices tend rather to identify the perpetrators of muti-murders as witch-doctors, perhaps a misnomer as the term itself implies a doctor of witches or one who euphemistically takes care of witches when they are perceived to be a nuisance.

Traditional Healers (iSangoma – diviners / magic workers or iNyanga – herbalists) allied to formal Traditional Healers associations and organisations use only herbs, roots and animal sacrifice in their practice and have publicly distanced themselves on numerous occasions from traditional healers who practice human sacrifice and dismemberment or who trade in human body parts.

However in a recent article published in The Daily News on October 31 and republished on IOL entitled 'Muti killings on the rise in KZN', the unnamed reporter stated,
"In KwaZulu-Natal, poverty and human suffering are believed to be some of the reasons behind the rise in muti killings and witchcraft". [56]

The reporter alleges that Kara Heritage Institute director Dr. Mathole Motshekga told [him / her] that,
"...the increase in witchcraft and muti-related crimes was the result of the socio-economic conditions that affect the majority of South Africans... witchcraft and muti-related crimes posed a major challenge to the country". [57]

It is clearly the assumption of the author of this article (and of Dr. Mathole Motshekga) that muti-murders and Witchcraft are related, and that Witches must therefore be the ones responsible for perpetrating murder and human mutilations, crimes which are alleged to be on the increase according to former head of the Occult-related Crimes Unit (ORCU) of the SAPS Kobus Jonker.

The article in question however does not provide any evidence to prove, or link, actual cases of murder and human mutilations to the practice of Witchcraft. The alleged Witches appear instead once again to be rogue traditional healers acting outside the boundary of accepted traditional practices and without the sanction of credible traditional healers themselves.

The article cites muthi-related cases in which several traditional healers have been found collaborating with alleged criminals. President of the KwaZulu-Natal Traditional Healers Association Sazi Mhlongo distanced traditional healers from the practice of human mutilations by allegedly calling those traditional healers found using human body parts “Witchdoctors” and “charlatans”.

On SAfm on 25 October 2007, responding to a question regarding the recent arrest of an iSangoma believed to have been assisting criminals with evading arrest through the use of magic, Dr. Motshekga stated that iSangomas are led by good spirits to heal and Witches are led by evil spirits to commit crimes.

Motshekga claimed that since the iSangoma had acted criminally, his activities should be regarded as Witchcraft and should not be used to assert that therefore all iSangomas are criminals. Of course the learned gentleman failed to apply the same rigor of common sense and fairness when discussing Witchcraft and Witches.

As early as 1933 Alice Werner wrote,
“ Another belief, held strongly in practically every part of Africa, is that witches hold their revels at the graves of those recently dead, digging up and reanimating the corpse, and then killing it again, eating the flesh, and taking some of the parts as ingredients of the most powerful charms. But this is not their only reason for resuscitating corpses. There is a strange and horrible superstition, widely distributed, with considerable local variations, to the effect that it is done in order to obtain a familiar, who can be sent about on the warlock's evil errands. [58]

Of course Werner was merely repeating the same propaganda that had been leveled at Witchcraft and alleged Witches in Europe by Christians between 1300 and 1700, allegations which inspired and sustained the European Inquisitions against heresy, and the Witch-trials of Salem, Massachusetts between 1692/93.

As recently as February 2007 this belief was strong enough to convince a 14 year old girl and ten others of her village to accuse an 80 year old woman of keeping zombies in her house. Ten villagers responded to the girls accusations by burning down the homes of the accused woman and her sons. [59] Another girl claimed to have been abducted by a 73 year old woman and forced to drink human blood. The accused was stoned and banished from her village. [60]

A December 2007 SABC Africa Special Assignment documentary on “Muti murders” in Limpopo Province, written by Johan Abrahams, proved convincingly that ritual killings are perpetrated by criminals who then sell their human tissue harvest to inyangas/traditional healers.

The presented evidence linking ritual murders in which human body parts are harvested by traditional healers was well researched. Two Traditional Healers (S.Hlathi and M.Neluyhola both from the Traditional Healers Association THA) were interviewed who stated that the practice of ritual murder of humans should not be encouraged or undertaken by inyangas.

The programme then featured four traditional healers who were found guilty in court of purchasing and using human body parts in their practices. These unscrupulous traditional healers are NOT Witches and do NOT practice Witchcraft. They do however practice a traditional form of African magic. This distinction should be made. It is an important one.

Within the last 5 minutes of the report Witchcraft was mentioned twice, first by Johan Abrahams who said,
“…here the belief in witchcraft and muti murder is strongly entrenched…”.

Abrahams said this with reference to a rural Limpopo community of Christians.
… and then by Professor Victor Ralushai who stated,
“…Make it a point that people are taught in schools about certain practices which are dirty, like muti murder and witchcraft… let us teach the youth that not every custom is good”.

Professor Anthony Minaar (Criminal Justice Studies: UNISA) said,
“Get church and religious leaders in so that you educate the people on a religious level that there is no substance to these beliefs.”

Absolutely no evidence was given to link Witchcraft with ritual killings. Witchcraft was never-the-less implicated by belief (and not through evidence). The evidence will prove that Witchcraft as Pagans know it is not related in any way to ritual killings (muti murders).

References:

[50] South African Law Reform Commission Discussion Paper 111 (Project 131) on Trafficking in Persons, Chapter 3 (Trafficking of persons for purposes of using their organs or other body parts in muti)
http://www.doj.gov.za/salrc/dpapers.htm
[51] South African Police Services Occult- related Crime Unit – definition of Occult-related crime.
[52] ‘Bail postponed in muti murder case' by Hanti Otto
Independent Online - 3 March 2007
This article was originally published on page 2 of Pretoria News on March 03, 2007
http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=13&art_id=vn20070303084...
[53] Ibid.
[54] Police say muti syndicate bought boy's testicles
16 November 2007 07:20
http://www.mg.co.za/articlepage.aspx?area=/breaking_news/breaking_news__...
46
[55] Related Story: KZN muti suspects 'assaulted' by police
13 November 2007
http://www.mg.co.za/articlePage.aspx?articleid=324830&area=/breaking_new...
[56] 'Muti killings on the rise in KZN'
The Daily News
http://www.dailynews.co.za/index.php?fArticleId=4107140
[57] Ibid.
[58] ‘Myths and Legends of the Bantu’ [1933] by Alice Werner
Chapter XVI: Doctors, Prophets, and Witches
http://www.sacred-texts.com/afr/mlb/mlb18.htm
[59] ‘Girl sparks violent witch-hunt’ by Witness Tiva & Neville Maakana
http://www.news24.com/News24/South_Africa/News/0,9294,2-7-1442_2065773,0...
[60] Ibid.

D. Leff (2008)