South Africa has for decades grappled with the scourge of child mutilation and abuse cases in which body parts, especially those of children, are used in brutal rituals purported to enhance wealth or bring good fortune.
In some instances, children are sexually abused as part of so-called rituals falsely believed to provide healing or prosperity for the perpetrator.
Traditional healers, commonly known as sangomas, are often implicated in these heinous acts. Some have been arrested by the South African Police Service (SAPS), while others have been attacked by community members when such incidents come to light.
In August last year, reported that two additional suspects, including a sangoma, were arrested for the brutal murder of a 34-year-old Limpopo mother and her two-year-old daughter. The pair had been reported missing in May, triggering an extensive search.
During an intensive police operation at Hlabeni, under the Saselamani policing area, officers arrested the two suspects. One of them, a traditional healer from Muraga village under the Thohoyandou policing precinct, was allegedly found in possession of the severed heads of the victims.
“Further police investigations led the members to the residence of a 38-year-old traditional healer at Muraga village under the Thohoyandou precinct. The traditional healer was allegedly found in possession of the missing heads of the two victims and was also placed under arrest,” Limpopo police spokesperson Colonel Malesela Ledwaba said at the time.
Police said a credible lead resulted in the discovery of the bodies of the mother and child, after which the suspects were immediately linked to the crime and arrested.
Against this backdrop, this week travelled to Ekangala, and spoke to celebrity sangoma Mandla Lekhuleni, popularly known as Prof Lekhuleni, on the sidelines of a traditional celebration attended by healers from South Africa and Mozambique.
“Speaking the truth does not break any friendship or a spaza shop. Those people using body parts of children or albinos — that is a crime. There is no such thing,” Lekhuleni said. “Since I started practising, I was never taught that if you want money or your business to grow, you must kill someone or use human blood. That is 100% criminal.”
He rejected claims that human sacrifice forms part of African traditional healing.
“I hear people saying sangomas use human sacrifices to make people rich. That is not what I learnt or what my gobela taught me. I was taught to go to the mountains, to rivers, to dig and collect medicine from nature — herbs that help uplift a person who is down,” he said.
Traditional medicine and rituals are widely believed across South Africa and in Africa to help cure illnesses or improve people’s livelihoods. Lekhuleni, who has a large social media following, regularly shares content about traditional healing practices.
“In my indumba (traditional room where a sangoma practices), you will never find even a small human bone. Killing someone to make another person rich is not African traditional medicine. African traditional medicine uses herbs, sometimes combined with iziwasho ,” he said.
“That is pure criminality, and I am willing to assist the police. Wherever such so-called traditional healers are found, I will work with the police to ensure they are arrested and never practise again. They must never see the light of day.”
Lekhuleni said traditional healers across the Southern African Development Community were increasingly alarmed by the rise in so-called muthi murders and were working together to combat the practice.
From Maputo, Mozambique, prominent traditional healer Rei Magoxa said ritual killings had tarnished the work of genuine African traditionalists.
“As someone representing SADC, I want to make it clear that this is not our habit and not from us as traditional healers,” he said. “Traditional healers do not do this. Perhaps there are people with bad habits using our name, but we do not know where this comes from.”
“The law must take its course against such people, because this is not part of African traditional healing,” Magoxa added.
Academic and traditional health practitioner Sefadi Mohami echoed these sentiments, describing perpetrators of muthi murders as criminals masquerading as healers.
“That is not us, and it cannot be done under our name,” Mohami said. “As traditional healers, we are custodians of African traditions and amadlozi (ancestors). We represent those who walked before us, including kings and queens, and our work must be carried out with dignity.”
Mohami, who is affiliated with the SADC University of African Medicine, said the institution had taken a firm stance against ritual killings and child abuse.
“We are saying no to ritual killings. We are saying no to the abuse of children and to children being molested in the name of traditional healing. That is not us,” he said. “Unfortunately, it is happening under our name, but those responsible are thugs and have nothing to do with African traditional healing.”
Last year, reported that a 50-year-old sangoma, Sebokoana Khounyana appeared before the Vanderbijlpark Magistrates’ Court in Gauteng facing charges of premeditated murder and human trafficking of two-year-old baby, Kutlwano Shalaba.
Gauteng spokesperson for the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), Lumka Mahanjana, said a charge of premeditated murder was also added against the baby’s mother, Kuneuwe Portia Shalaba.
The 32-year-old mother was previously facing charges of human trafficking, conspiracy to commit robbery and making a false statement to the police.
“It is alleged that on 10 November 2024, the mother of the child (Kuneuwe) took the child to the sangoma (Khounyana) and requested him to kill her child because she was not happy with the gender of the baby and was tired of hiding it from her family. The child (Kutlwano) was a girl,” said Mahanjana.
“The mother then allegedly fed the baby poison, and after the baby died, it is alleged that the two took the child and buried her body in a shallow grave in Waterpan.”
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