THE community of Roadhouse village in Malamulele, Limpopo, is relieved after a woman, who was suspected to have been killed for ritual purposes, resurfaced
The woman disappeared on February 15 leaving the community convinced she could be yet another ritual killing statistic.
After Debra Macebele went missing community members suspected that it was similar to the incident in the neighbouring Mavambe village on January 21, when 47-year-old Grace Baloyi went missing only to be found with missing body parts.
Macebele, 19, was going to court to testify against her common-law husband Sipho Risimati on the day of her disappearance.
Risimati was accused of assaulting his 2-year-old son after he allegedly cut the boy several times on the head with a razor.
Police spokesperson Warrant Officer Alson Mapindani confirmed yesterday that Macebele was found after having been put on a missing persons' file for two weeks.
"The woman was put on a missing persons' file after being reported missing and the community suspected she was one of the ritual murder victims," said Mapindani.
He said Macebele was walking with her husband to court on that day and that the man had apparently threatened her with death if she testified against him to the extent he was convicted of an assault charge.
"The woman told us she feared for her life and then boarded a taxi to Giyani without knowing where exactly she was going," Mapindani said.
Mapindani added Macebele told them that inside the taxi she met a man from Shigamani village and they fell in love.
"The man allegedly told the woman he was staying with his mother at home and she decided to go with him to his home," he said.
Mapindani said the man from Shigamani would be questioned to get his side of the story.
Since both Macebele and her husband never made it to court the case is still pending.
Her coming back has eased tensions in the community that had planned to organise marches amid suspicions that she had been killed for ritual purposes.
The area has experienced seven deaths in the past few years, the bodies of which were found with missing body parts.
Relief after suspected muthi victim returns
THE community of Roadhouse village in Malamulele, Limpopo, is relieved after a woman, who was suspected to have been killed for ritual purposes, resurfaced
The woman disappeared on February 15 leaving the community convinced she could be yet another ritual killing statistic.
After Debra Macebele went missing community members suspected that it was similar to the incident in the neighbouring Mavambe village on January 21, when 47-year-old Grace Baloyi went missing only to be found with missing body parts.
Macebele, 19, was going to court to testify against her common-law husband Sipho Risimati on the day of her disappearance.
Risimati was accused of assaulting his 2-year-old son after he allegedly cut the boy several times on the head with a razor.
Police spokesperson Warrant Officer Alson Mapindani confirmed yesterday that Macebele was found after having been put on a missing persons' file for two weeks.
"The woman was put on a missing persons' file after being reported missing and the community suspected she was one of the ritual murder victims," said Mapindani.
He said Macebele was walking with her husband to court on that day and that the man had apparently threatened her with death if she testified against him to the extent he was convicted of an assault charge.
"The woman told us she feared for her life and then boarded a taxi to Giyani without knowing where exactly she was going," Mapindani said.
Mapindani added Macebele told them that inside the taxi she met a man from Shigamani village and they fell in love.
"The man allegedly told the woman he was staying with his mother at home and she decided to go with him to his home," he said.
Mapindani said the man from Shigamani would be questioned to get his side of the story.
Since both Macebele and her husband never made it to court the case is still pending.
Her coming back has eased tensions in the community that had planned to organise marches amid suspicions that she had been killed for ritual purposes.
The area has experienced seven deaths in the past few years, the bodies of which were found with missing body parts.