Mozambican traditional healers arrested in for kidnapping, muthi murder
Two Mozambican traditional healers are among three suspects that have been arrested in connection with the 2023 murder of a young woman.
The recovery of the victim's cellphone led investigators to the suspects and the discovery of the woman's organs.
Two suspects made their first appearance in court on Friday, while another is due in court on Monday.
Mutilated body
The badly decomposed body of Gontse Makhubela was discovered at a refuse dumping site in Brits in November 2023.
The 20-year-old's corpse had been mutilated and partly burnt, starting a difficult search for the perpetrators.
After a wait to identify the deceased, investigations by Brits detectives and Hartbeespoortdam crime prevention obtained Makhubela's cellphones.
Her conversations with the suspects was still present on the device, allowing investigators to trace the three men.
The conversations allegedly show how Makhubela was lured into a meeting with a suspect before she was kidnapped and murdered.
'Defiling a corpse'
Police report that a 29-year-old suspect was hired by a 38-year-old Mozambican traditional healer to find a woman who matched Makhubela's description, allegedly for ritual muthi purposes.
After finding a suitable victim, the young suspect is alleged to have kidnapped, murdered, mutilated and burnt the woman.
'Further investigation led to the arrest of a third suspect [also a traditional healer from Mozambique] in Winterveld, Gauteng, who was found in possession of the deceased's organs,' police confirmed on Friday.
'Investigations into the matter continue and further arrests are possible.'
The suspects are set to face murder charges, with the traditional healer and his accomplice also to be charged with kidnapping and defiling a corpse.
'The Mozambican suspect will face charges under Section 49(1) of the Immigration Act,' police said.
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