Traditional healer accused of raping male teens

A traditional healer who persuaded families that he had a “prophecy” about problems in their household – and that he could cure them – has been arrested for raping teenage boys during the “healing”.

The traditional healer‚ named by police as Sibusiso Ndawonde of the Machunwini area‚ allegedly raped four male victims between the ages of 15 to 17.

KwaZulu-Natal police said he had allegedly told their families that the only way to heal and cure the male victims of their illness and ill omen was to rape them for two weeks.

Explaining how the boys came to be in Ndawonde’s home‚ the police said their investigation found that he had approached the victims’ elders.

“Ndawonde informed the elders of each family that he had a ‘prophecy’ that these families had problems and he had the solution to the problem. He then convinced the family of each of the victims that he had to take the victims with him to his house at Msinga where he would be able to use traditional medicine to heal and cure the victim‚” the SAPS said in a statement.

“On several occasions he would leave his wife in their bedroom and spend the night with the young male victims in his traditional healing room where he raped the males for the entire night…

“Each male victim was kept in his traditional room and raped for two weeks. One of the victims managed to escape and reported the matter to his parents.”

A case was registered at the local police station in August for further investigation. When the Greytown Family Violence‚ Child and Sexual Offences Unit members went to trace the traditional healer‚ they found that there were two other young males inside the traditional healing room.

“These males looked intimidated and uncomfortable to speak (but later‚ during police questioning) revealed that they were being raped by the traditional healer.” Further cases of rape were registered and the traditional healer was placed in police custody. He appeared before court where bail was denied. He is in custody pending his appearance before the Pietermaritzburg High Court next month.

KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Commissioner‚ Lieutenant General Mmamonnye Ngobeni commended the Greytown Family Violence‚ Child and Sexual Offences Unit for arresting the alleged rape suspect.

”I want to appeal to the community to always be vigilant and be aware of sexual predators so that our children do not become victims of this horrendous crime”‚” she said. -RDM News Wire