Residents in Swaziland allegedly killed an elderly woman because she was a witch, a local newspaper has reported.
They enlisted a prophet
to seek out the woman, the Swazi Observer
reported on Friday (23 June 2017)
It happened at Sithobelweni where the woman
reportedly had been ‘roaming around their homesteads and bewitching them’.
The Observer
reported, ‘An elderly woman married to one of the residents was eventually
killed after being fingered by a prophet who was hired by the community to root
out the witchcraft practices in the area.’ She was named as Philphinah Mamba.
A case of murder is being heard before High Court
Judge Sipho Nkosi.
The
newspaper reported, ‘Giving evidence under oath, Sicelo [Mamba] told the court
that the community was having a problem with a woman who would be spotted in
the odd hours of the night moving around people’s homesteads naked and this was
reported to the Royal kraal.
‘Sicelo
said following various incidents where the woman was spotted, the Inner Council
convened a meeting where hundreds of residents were in attendance and
deliberated on the matter.
‘At least
three meetings in connection with the witchcraft, according to Sicelo were held
and it was in the last meeting that they resolved to seek the services of a
prophet who would assist them in fingering the witch giving them sleepless
night.’
The Inner
Council ordered that each homestead owner pay a sum of E50 (about US$4) as
contribution towards payment of the services of a prophet called Boy Sithole.
The woman was taken before a crowd of residents where she admitted to
witchcraft, the newspaper reported.
The
newspaper reported, ‘At this point, people insisted that a declaration be made
with everyone signing next to their names to the effect that the witch be
killed.’
She was
later stabbed three times in the chest at her home.
The court
case continues.
See also
‘MPs USE WITCHCRAFT FOR SUCCESS’
WITCHDOCTORS TOLD ‘STOP MURDERING’
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