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Family pays sangoma to bring back dead woman

Sipho Masombuka

Sipho Masombuka

A family that paid a traditional healer R15000 to bring their daughter back from the dead, now say the Pretoria woman is a fraudster.

Dorah Ngwenya of Atteridgeville allegedly promised in July last year to resurrect Florah Theledi, 23, a week after she died.

Theledi, of Soshanguve, had died of an undisclosed illness at Legae-Medi Clinic in Mabopane.

The dead woman's sister, Lizzie Theledi, said yesterday Ngwenya had demanded R30000 for the job, but they paid her R15000 up front "so she could do it quickly".

She said Ngwenya told the family to go ahead and bury the dead woman.

"She said the body we were burying was not that of Florah and that we should not worry as the real Florah would come back to us.

"That was when the wait started. We have now been waiting. It has now been 13 months. That is why we have confronted Ngwenya," she said.

She said when the family started asking questions, the healer told them she would keep their sister on her plot in Brits with other people she had resurrected until they paid the balance owing.

Theledi said in July this year they demanded to see their sister, but Ngwenya became aggressive.

"She was giving us excuses, but we could see she was lying," she said.

"She told us she was still organising an ID document and counselling for Florah before we could see her," Theledi added.

Isaac Nkanyezi, president of Tshwane Faith and Traditional Healers Forum, said yesterday their office had received hundreds of similar complaints about Ngwenya.

Ngwenya is a registered member of the organisation.

Nkanyezi said they distanced themselves from her claims and deeds.

"Late last year we ordered her to refund a Tembisa woman R6000 after promising that she would resurrect her husband."

Atteridgeville police spokesman, Captain Thomas Mufamadi said they were still taking statements.

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