Witch-hunt

[nairiporter]

SA pupils burn 'witches' to death
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/6980439.stm
Two South African women have been burned to death after a group of students accused them of bewitching their high school with evil spirits.

Msaba Zungu and Thabitha Thusi, both 60, were seized from their homes near Manguzi in KwaZulu-Natal province.

Students and adults dragged them to a sports field where they were doused with petrol and set alight on Sunday.

Manhlenga High School pupils accused the women of being witches after they began to suffer strange crying fits.

Investigators said Ms Zungu died at the scene and Ms Thusi succumbed to her burns injuries on Monday.

Police captain Jabulani Mdletshe told the BBC News website: "On 17 August, the students at the mixed high school began to cry randomly and they did not know why.

"The students held a couple of meetings and allegedly decided the problem was these two women were witches who had cast a bad muthi (spell) on the school.

"At 8pm on Sunday, some students and community members allegedly took the women from their homes to a football field and set them on fire."

No arrests have been made but police are following a positive line of inquiry, said Capt Mdletshe.

Comments

[abomvubuso.livejournal.com]

You know, this reminds me of that documentary on Discovery, about witchcraft and black magic which is still being practiced across SA. Twas very scary!

[georgiarepublic.livejournal.com]

Was this in a remote, undeveloped part of the country?
I don't know, maybe it is me, and where I live, but it seems surprising that people anywhere still believe this kind of stuff, and react so violently on it.
Then again, we still have instances here where people are murdered just for being gay, and it usually isn't for refigious reasons, but a lack of understanding and fear.
I guess the root cause of that could be considered superstition in a way.

[nairiporter.livejournal.com]

Yes, this is still happening. It is not easy to explain the mentality of the African people. There are very long traditions embedded deep into their psyche, so they really believe in these things. Well, most of them.

[abomvubuso.livejournal.com]

KZN is quite a developed part of the country...