on ritual murders in Limpopo
26 October 2006
The resurgence of the spate of ritual murders in Limpopo has had a
devastating effect on many families and communities in general. It is a well
known fact that there are families and communities in the recent past which
have fallen victim to ritual murders in the Vhembe District and other parts of
the province. Evidence has been led in various court proceedings which point
clearly to the existence of this phenomenon in our province.
As a matter of fact, the recent Legislature hearings on ritual murders in
the Mutale area have confirmed the view that many of our people are continuing
to live in fear as a result of this crime wave. Most villagers in the Vhembe
District for instance, have had to contend with despair and perpetual feelings
of insecurity owing to this invisible enemy that lives amongst them.
Compounding the problem has been a feeling of lack of security for women and
children who occasionally have to go to streams, bushes or mountains to fetch
water and firewood. There is no doubt that the resurgence of ritual murders,
prevalent mostly in the Vhembe District, has brought untold suffering and
generated a state of fear and anxiety on the part of many of our rural
people.
Being conscious and affected by the negative consequences that these crimes
have brought to our people and government, let alone unsuccessful prosecutions
due to lack of sufficient evidence and maximum co-operation from members of the
community, we committed ourselves early this year to set up a Police Task Team
to investigate the alleged cases of ritual murders dating back to 1994. The
Task Team was eventually set up in June 2006 and completed its work in
September 2006.
Apart from interviewing witnesses, members of the Task Team were able to
study each docket where ritual murder is alleged to be the cause of death in
order to establish whether proper investigation procedures were followed or
not. This helped in deciding whether certain cases warranted re-investigation
or not.
On analysing the dockets, the police found that of the 47 cases
investigated, most ranged from suicide (inquest) cases, culpable homicides,
common murders and of course to ritual murders. On this basis therefore, murder
cases were investigated and suspects were arrested, convicted and given
sentences of up to life imprisonment including in those cases where ritual
murder cases were clearly proven beyond reasonable doubt, viz.: (a clear
example would include the highly publicised case of State vs Shumani Dzebu,
Mukondeleli Phosha and others, where the accused were given heavy life
sentences for the murder of Maanda Sendedza and attempted murder of Nyelisani
Sidimela).
There were also many other murder cases or cases of missing persons where
the police are not able to immediately determine whether they are ritually
inspired or were of an ordinary criminal nature. This refers to those cases
where the deceased were found murdered in the bush with no evidence of severing
of body parts or human organs missing. Nonetheless, the police are continuing
to investigate those cases where we feel sufficient evidence exists to secure
arrests and convictions.
In line with our crime prevention strategy, the reduction of crime requires
a two pronged approach, viz.: law enforcement and social crime prevention. Due
to the fact that the crimes in question are caused by a wide range of factors
and are committed in veiled secrecy, it would therefore be difficult to expect
only members of the South African Police Service to prevent them from
happening. We therefore also need a well organised partnership involving all
stakeholders such as communities and businesses to strengthen police law
enforcement interventions in this regard.
After studying the findings of the Task Team and informed by its
recommendations, we then deemed it necessary to adopt the following set of
actions:
1.1 To convene on the 16 - 17 November 2006, a multi-stakeholder provincial
Summit on ritual murders to look deeper into the underlying causes and reasons
for the perpetration of these crimes, including the reasons why we have an
increase in the number of missing persons. The Summit will be held at
Thohoyandou in the Vhembe District and will culminate into a rally in
Mutale.
1.2 To implore the South African Police Service to set up a permanent
Specialised Investigating Unit responsible for Ritual Murder Cases and missing
persons throughout the province (similar to the disbanded SAPS Occult-related
crimes unit).
1.3 To task the Limpopo Department of Safety, Security and Liaison with the
responsibility to lead a multi-agency educational drive to spearhead the fight
against ritual killings in the province. Such a campaign to involve the Moral
Regeneration Movement, religious communities, Traditional leaders, Traditional
healers, Business, Trade Unions, Community Policing Forums (CPFs), Government
departments, Municipalities, SAPS, non-governmental organisations (NGOs),
Community-based Organisations (CBOs) as well as relevant chapter nine
Institutions such as the Commission for Gender Equality (CGE) and the South
African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC).
1.4 To implore the South African Police Service to improve its mechanisms
for tracking and searching of missing persons as soon as these cases are
reported.
1.5 To impress upon the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) and the South
African Police Service to expedite investigations and prosecutions of existing
cases where community members have reasonable concerns.
We would therefore like to take this opportunity to thank members of the
SAPS Task Team for executing their mandate, including members of the public who
co-operated with the investigators. Our acknowledgements further go to the
police stations which provided the Task Team members with docket files and case
details. Many thanks also go to the MEC for Safety, Security and Liaison, the
Head of Department (HOD) of the Department of Safety, Security and Liaison,
SAPS provincial Commissioner and his management team for their support
throughout the investigations.
Enquiries:
Mogale Nchabeleng
Cell: 072 632 8984
Issued by: Limpopo Provincial Government
26 October 2006
