Moyahabo Mabeba
Two people are dead.
The one, Elizabeth Mokau, was burnt beyond recognition – allegedly by her sangoma Piet Modisotswile.
Modisotswile was then shot by police, and died shortly afterwards.
Community members at Tshelammake, Witpoort, near Lephalale in Limpopo, said they heard a woman’s desperate cries for help on Friday afternoon.
Neighbour Francinah Mmamatjie said they called the police who went with them to the healer’s house.
“When the police arrived, the sangoma refused to let them in,” she said.
“We thought the woman was still inside the house but she had already been murdered and set on fire. We understand that after killing her he placed a tractor tyre on her neck and set her alight.”
Then, according to Francinah, the healer started fighting with everybody, including the police.
“The police fired rubber bullets to overpower him. Later, we saw him lying on the ground. Then we saw the woman’s burnt body in the yard.”
Brigadier Motlafela Mojapelo, the spokesperson for the Limpopo police, said they have opened an inquest docket while the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) has opened a case for investigation against the police who opened fire.
Mojapelo said: “A post-mortem examination will be conducted to establish the cause of the death.”
Grace Langa, spokesperson for IPID said: “We are investigating a case of murder.”
