Daily Sun (November 6 2013) - THE JUSTICE system may be powerless in Khutsong. But a senior sangoma has warned . . .
"THE PEOPLE WHO DID THIS COULD BE CURSED FOR THE REST OF THEIR LIVES!"
Traditional healers are outraged by the gruesome killing of a sangoma in Khutsong, near Carletonville, where residents carried out threats that they themselves would deal with young thugs.
Phepsile Maseko, national co-ordinator of the Traditional Healers Organisation, said: "The families must deal with the curse immediately. The victims died painfully and their angry spirits will cause bad things,
because they want revenge."
More than 700 angry residents rampaged through section 3, 4 and 5 of Khutsong township, west of Joburg, on Sunday morning. By the time an uneasy calm had settled on the township, six people had been killed.
One of the people who died, sangoma James Magagula, died at the hands of residents after he was accused of supplying muthi to safeguard thugs from arrest.
Sangoma Maseko was angered by the violence. She said it would bring bad luck to the community.
"It's wrong what they did and there is no evidence that the sangoma did anything," she said.
She said taking the life of a human being angers the spirits and could bring the worst consequences down on the people who did these things.
"When you kill you have a dark cloud hanging over you," she said.
"If the family of the sangoma performs rituals on his corpse, the murderers will be in big trouble."
Maseko said the issues in Khutsong should teach parents to control their children before an angry community intervened.
"I have heard from Khutsong that residents feel parents failed to take action against their kids, but no mother gives birth to a gangster. She gives birth to a child, but it is still a parent's responsibility to monitor what the children get up to," she said.
She said the murderers would only be able to get rid of the angry spirits of the dead by cleansing their homes with the help of the families of the dead.
) When Daily Sun visited the area yesterday, things seemed to be back to normal with residents going about their daily routine. Taxis were working while police were monitoring the situation.
A 31-year-old woman from extension 3 said there were no youths roaming around the streets, as there used to be.
"We are not sure if this is the return of peace to the community or simply gang members mourning their dead friends," she said.
"I don't agree with the killings but something needed to happen to bring the area under control."
She said before Sunday they could not walk in the streets at night for fear of being raped or robbed. Perhaps it will be better now," she said.
Police spokesman Brigadier Neville Malila said police are appealing to community members to come forward with any helpful information.
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