Sangoma stoned to death, three arrested

Durban - The mother of the sangoma who was stoned to death in Welbedacht by a mob which wrongly believed she had abducted a child, has welcomed the 10-year sentences handed to the men who murdered her daughter.

Lucky Howard and S'busiso Mateyisa, 27, and Khulile Feni, 34, were sentenced in the Durban Regional Court on Friday.

Sangoma Philisiwe "Makhosi" Macoba, 42, died in December 2011, at the hands of the group of Welbedacht residents who accused her of killing Elethu Nziba, Mateyisa's daughter.

The child was found a few days later at a place of safety in Clermont and taken to the uMlazi police station.

Speaking to the Daily News on Sunday, Macoba's mother, Nombuyiselo, said it made no difference whether the men were sentenced to 10 years or life imprisonment, as long as they spent some time behind bars, she was glad.

"My child is gone, nothing can ever bring her back to be with her own children. And if the father of the child that she died for also does not see his child for years, justice has been done," she said. "Our family's pain has not been in vain."

Macoba was buried on January 2 last year at a family grave close to their home in Dungane, a remote rural village near Matatiele.

At the time of her death, her mother had been in hospital because of diabetes.

She had received a call on her cellphone and was told by the people holding her daughter that she was going to be killed.

"This whole thing has been hard from the beginning - they kept phoning me asking me about a missing child right up until the time when I had to bury my child."

Nombuyiselo said Macoba's children - Ncubeko, 15, Vuyokazi, 11 and Abongile, two - still missed their mother but it was the eldest who was having the most difficulty coping.

"We're cautious when we scold him about his chores because anything that upsets him leads him into saying things like life would be better off if he was dead as well," she said.

Nombuyiselo said social workers were helping the teen through his grief.

She said the tragedy had caused her health to deteriorate and she had been in hospital for three months this year because of high blood pressure brought on by stress.

The court had head that Macoba had been stoned, beaten with sjamboks and almost necklaced by the mob who accused her of killing Elethu.

In earlier testimony it was revealed that residents approached Macoba and another sangoma, referred to as "Dlamini" to help find the girl. Information given was that the girl was last seen with Macoba, who did not deny the allegation.

Addressing the crowd, she had said she had given the child something to eat before she left.

Another man, known as "the Prophet" had said the child was dead and that Macoba was involved in the death.

When Elethu could not be found, the crowd turned on Macoba and Dlamini.

The men took turns hitting Dlamini, while Macoba was called a witch and pelted with stones.

In sentencing, regional magistrate Umi Singh said aggravating factors in the case were that the three had shown no remorse for their actions and the assault on Macoba, a defenceless victim, had been prolonged.

She said Mateyisa had approached another sangoma who informed him that his child was alive and would be found by the police.

There was no evidence to suggest Macoba was linked to the child's disappearance and she maintained her innocence.

"The accused showed no mercy and this was a prolonged assault lasting from 8am to midday when the deceased finally succumbed to her injuries," said Singh.

The three men, who were arrested the same month of the attack, were charged as first-time offenders, though Feni has a previous conviction for theft in 1992.

Singh ruled this was not pertinent to the murder charge.

The court found that the community at large had to be taken into consideration and that the sentences should act as a deterrent for both the accused and any others who might consider committing such a serious offence.