By Doreen Mokgolo
- Mob beats 76-year-old dementia sufferer to death after finding her sleeping at neighbour’s house.
- Family demands justice while police investigate brutal killing with no arrests made yet.
A family is demanding justice after their 76-year-old grandmother was beaten to death by a mob who accused her of witchcraft.
Gogo Busi Maseko from Daveyton in Ekurhuleni suffered from dementia and wandered out of her home in the early hours of Tuesday morning.
She was found sleeping at a neighbour’s house around 3am. The community was alerted and accused her of being “caught in the act” of witchcraft.
The angry mob took turns beating the confused pensioner and threatened to burn her alive. Only when a resident begged them to stop did they leave her to die.
Concerned residents found Maseko around 5am and called an ambulance. She was declared dead on arrival at Phillip Moyo Main Clinic.
Her daughter Poppy Maseko said her mother had tried to leave the house around 10pm on Monday night.
“She said she was going home as her late mother was calling her. I managed to stabilise her with her medication and she went to bed,” Poppy said.
“Around midnight I checked on her and she was still sleeping. I believe she slipped out later because she was not at home when I went to check around 5am.”
Poppy searched the neighbourhood but no one had seen her mother. She posted on local social media groups asking for help.
“I received a call from a resident urging me to go check on an incident where a pensioner was found assaulted,” she said.
Videos and pictures of the brutal attack were shared on social media.
“If the community believed she was a witch, what did they find on her that proved this? She was sick. My wish is for people to learn more about dementia and other mental health illnesses to avoid killing innocent people,” Poppy said.
“My mother didn’t deserve to be killed like a criminal.”
Ekurhuleni police spokesperson warrant officer Skalkie confirmed they have opened an inquest.
“No one has been arrested. We are calling on anyone who may have information about the identity of the suspects to come forward,” she said.
Pictured above: Busi Maseko.
Image source: Doreen Mokgolo
