Programme Director,
The District Mayor of Mopani Cllr N Rakgwale,
The HOD for the Department of Transport, Safety, Security and Liaison Ms Tsebe,
Giyani Local Municipality Mayor Cllr Pat Hlongwane,
Hosi Shiviti and his tribal council,
Provincial Commissioner of Limpopo, Lt Gen SF Masemola,
All the Deputy Provincial Commissioners, Cluster Commanders, Provincial Heads and Station Commanders.

Ladies and gentlemen, 

Crimes related to witchcraft, ritual murders and mob justice remain a serious challenge to the inroads made by some sectors of the community and the police in achieving and maintaining peace and stability in this province.

Contextualising the dialogue in relation to the murder of Mrs Dyna Catherine Chauke (née Nkovani), who was killed on 28 April this year following accusations of witchcraft-related activities in the Thomo Village, one realises the seriousness of violent crimes against women in society. She is not the only one in this province who has been murdered because of such accusations. 

We decided to hold this outreach event in this beautiful area during Women’s Month, because our visits to some villages and the discussions held there caused some concern among police management.

The first worrying situation was encountered in Dzinghi-Dzinghi. The community members in this village took the law into their own hands when they assumed that the police were taking too long to arrest a suspect who had been on the run. This suspect was, however, arrested in the North West.

Another incident in Mninghinisi was sparked by what was perceived to be the witchcraft-related death of a woman who went missing and was later found dead. As a result, the community pointed fingers at the family members and burnt down their houses and a tavern belonging to a Mozambican national.

It became apparent to us that the burning of houses or killing of people accused of witchcraft in the villages was becoming a trend for community members in the area. Our assessment further found that some victims, especially in murder-related cases, were elderly people with no food or clothing.  The South African Police Service (SAPS) will not ignore these incidents and that is why we are here today.

Because of mob justice, a fourteen-year-old child was killed and a case was opened in Letsitele, following which a 29-year-old adult was detained in custody. In Giyani, six suspects were granted bail of R1 500, 00 each for the murder of a 52-year-old woman, who was accused of killing her sister-in-law in the Thomo Village.

In Namakgale, the community took Tumi and Lerato to the soccer field, accusing them of murdering someone, and stoned them to death. Thirty-three-year-old Mercy Ndou from the Hamakuya Guyuni Village was found to have been murdered in a ritual. Her right leg and private parts were missing. These are some of the most recent cases which emanated from our communities this year. 

This morning, we erected a tombstone in remembrance of not only Mrs Chauke, but all the other members of the community who were victims of unlawful killings in the name of witchcraft, mob justice and ritual killings. 

Ladies and gentlemen, allow me to extend my appreciation to a local company called Bahwaduba Funeral Undertaker from Giyani for donating the tombstone we unveiled this morning. Collaborative approaches and good working relationships between the community and the community at large demonstrate unity in the fight against incidents of victimisation of women and children.

The SAPS is here today to openly engage with you as the community we serve. How can we significantly reduce and ultimately get rid of unlawful killings, witchcraft and mob justice? The appropriate point of departure will be to talk openly about witchcraft and to identify how detrimental such conducts are to the progress, stability and development of a community. 

South Africa is a country emerging from a past characterised by horrific scenes of violence. As we approach our maturity as a democracy, we continue to witness extreme violence perpetrated against women and children. We are seeing acts of gross violation of basic human rights. Vigilantism, ritual killings and mob justice have no place under our Constitutional democratic dispensation. These so-called muti killings are serious crimes against humanity and need a collaborative approach to combat.

A study prepared for the United Nations’ Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial summary or arbitrary executions in 2011 documented that witchcraft had been widely practised in African societies since before the colonial time. Belief in how witchcraft is practised varies from state to state, but the belief and practice of witchcraft is often to give a justification for why bad things happen to certain people. This leads to accusations against certain individuals who are suspected of having been directly involved in the acts of witchcraft. Accusations of witchcraft can lead to violations of a wide range of human rights, including the right to life. 

Women, the elderly and children remain the most vulnerable. If we are to make a progressive Limpopo a reality, a shift in our mind-sets and perceptions is of paramount importance. We feel that it is time to gather and talk about where these beliefs emanate from. It is time that we call on our traditional leaders, Community Police Forums (CPFs), community-based organisations (CBOs) and other community leaders to deliberate on these issues, because they affect each and every one present here today. 

We need to deliberate in detail on the truthfulness of what research on ritual murders depicts on issues such as the beliefs that particular body parts harvested through a particular process and from selected victims could enhance health, strength, wealth or power. These matters can no longer be swept under the carpet and kept secret. Only when we start engaging with one another can we, as society, feel free to talk about these issues and even feel free to report these incidents to the police at the nearest police stations.

As custodians of the law mandated to protect and to serve, we call upon you to join us in the fight against crime. Our doors remain open to you through CPF programmes, to sit down with you to formulate approaches that ought to be the answer to heinous crimes perpetrated in our communities. There should be a platform among ourselves where the community at large, including the youth, could discuss issues that concern their safety and roles in the fight against crime. As a collective, we must identify specific actions that such an initiative could include. We must ensure peace and stability so that our communities, our province, live in harmony. Let us never allow discord, hatred and violence to be the order of the day. Let justice and freedom reign.

Thank you!