Punishment for ‘witchcraft’ killers!
SEVEN South Africans have been sentenced to life imprisonment for the 2018 witchcraft-related killing of elderly sisters.
The Mthatha High Court, sitting in Ntabankulu, handed down the sentence to Lwandiso Mzaza (29), Lufefe Mzaza (28), Zithini Rhayisa (34), Yamkela Nonjojo (31), Odwa Nonjojo (34), Anelisiwe Nonjojo (32), and Mkhonzeni Ngcabangcosi (24) for their roles in the brutal murders.
In addition to the life sentences, the court also imposed 10-year sentences for two counts of murder and arson, to be served concurrently.
In December 2018, a group led by biological brothers, Lwandiso and Nonjojos, allegedly collected funds to buy petrol, which they used to burn the victims, their houses, and families because they accused them of witchcraft.
The accused pleaded not guilty and questioned their identification, leading to a trial-within-a-trial where Rhayisa’s confession was admissible.
The case highlights violence against women accused of witchcraft and the impact on victims’ children, who have not only lost their mothers but have been displaced and stigmatized as children of “witches”
By Luvuyo Mehlwana
