Daily Sun (September 15 2014) - THE desperate parents watched as the prophet mixed petrol and dubula muthi in lukewarm water in the bathtub. He placed four candles around the bath and they put their baby in the water.
THEN THE PROPHET STRUCK A MATCH TO LIGHT THE CANDLES.
In one terrifying instant the room was covered in petrol flames, the burning child screaming in agony.
The devastated parents, David Macuacua (40) and Mary Nyoni (21) couldn't contain their sorrow as they told the People's Paper what happened to Nonhlanhla, their two month-old baby.
David said Nonhlanhla had been sick for a while, and in desperation they appealed to the prophet for help. The prophet is also a close relative of Mary and they trusted him. "We placed our hope in him to cure our child," David said.
He said he did what the prophet told him to do and went to the garage to buy a litre of petrol and took it back to their house in Kaalfontein, near Ivory Park. "He told Mary to boil water and pour it in the bathtub," said David.
"Then he mixed the petrol with dubula muthi and poured it into the water and stirred it until it was lukewarm. Then he ordered my partner to bath the baby in the mixture."
Four candles, two red and two white, were put on the four corners of the bath. While Mary was bathing the child, the prophet went to light the candles. "Everything went up in flames with my child in the bath," said David. "We screamed as our baby was burning." Mary grabbed the burning child and pulled her out of the flaming water, burning her own hand in the process.
"I grabbed a jacket and we put out the fire but my baby was badly burnt." Neighbours called the ambulance and Nonhlanhla was rushed to Tembisa Hospital. That was a week ago on Sunday. But Nonhlanhla had already sustained third degree burns. Nonhlanhla was discharged on Wednesday but died at home on Friday morning.
"I hate that man for taking our child," said David. "I want the world to know the evil thing he did."
The unemployed couple said they don't know how they will raise the money to bury their baby. "We appeal to people to help us," he said. Tembisa cop shop spokesman Tebogo Sesing confirmed the relative was arrested for murder on Friday and will appear in court soon. A sangoma who wished to remain nameless told Daily Sun dubula muthi comes in crystals and is usually mixed with vaseline for healing purposes. Mixing it with petrol is a dangerous practice meant to cause vutha.
See the Daily Sun mobi site for more on this and other stories....
The Daily Sun is South Africa's largest daily newspaper with an average circulation of 274 165 (Audit Bureau of Circulations 2nd Quarter 2014) and a readership of 5.7m (as per AMPS 2012ab). Its Facebook page can be accessed here. It can be followed on Twitter here. To find about advertising on the Daily Sun click here.
Issued through the Politicsweb iService
