Mob beats ‘resurrecter’ herbalist to death

A herbalist who claimed he could raise the dead was himself beaten to death by a mob.

Police said the self-proclaimed herbalist allegedly defrauded residents of a Ngcobo village out of R1.2-million by claiming he could resurrect dead family members.

In a further twist, four of the herbalists’ family members who arrived in a vehicle to wrest the man away from the mob, were also severely pounded and are fighting for their lives in hospital.

Mthatha cluster police spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Mzukisi Fatyela said arrests were imminent, and police were investigating cases of murder and attempted murder. The matter was reported to the Ngcobo police station.

The killing happened at Fama village in Qhumanco near Ngcobo at 5pm on Wednesday.

Police could not give the name of the dead man or those in hospital but confirmed that they were foreign nationals.

“It is alleged that the man was given a sum that accumulated to about R1.2-million. He claimed that he has powers to raise the dead and would assist those bereaved families to have their dead loved ones arise from the dead. After receiving the money he apparently disappeared and was believed to be in Komani and Cofimvaba,’’ said Fatyela.

He said the herbalist had “dangled a carrot” in front of people, saying that they had to put up a deposit of R100 00 before he could start his job.

Fatylela said the man was lured from Komani to Qhumanco with the promise that he would be given the R10000, but on arrival was allegedly beaten to death by a mob in the village of Fama.

The family of the man then drove from Komani in an effort to rescue him but, when they got there, they too were “severely beaten by the mob”, said Fatyela.

The injured were rushed to hospital by police when they arrived but the herbalist was already dead, he said.

Qhumanco traditional nkosi, Sandile, of the Jumba Traditional Council, could not be reached for comment. — lulamilef@dispatch.co.za