Sangoma 'turns man into goblin'

26-year-old Austin Mukonoweshuro from Parkview in Johannesburg claims that a traditional healer promised to make him rich but the scheme has cost the man R40 000, 20 chickens and three goats in the last eight months..

The healer left him with useless muthi, debts and a fight with his wife.

Now another traditional healer Ntsimb'edlezinye Ngema claims that the healer gave Austin something that turned him into a goblin that will work for the him forever.

Austin said: "He told me to buy three steel boxes. One box would become filled with money, the other would be full of tokoloshes and the third would protect the money from thugs."

"He took the third box into his bedroom," said Austin. "Every time I went to his house to get the money he had a different excuse.

"He once said the money's ready but the tokoloshes were at the cemetery and he couldn't hand over the money box without them."

Austin said the traditional healer asked him to buy three white chickens and a black goat.

He told him the blood of the animals would bring wealth.

"I have never turned him down. I borrowed money from mashonisa to buy food," said Austin, who works as a gardener.

When contacted, the traditional healer said he didn't know anyone called Austin.