"My face changes and other prisoners tend to dislike me when they see me changing. This can only be healed traditionally"

SIBUSISO John Gcabashe, 29, who is accused of impersonating late Maskandi artist Khulekani "Mgqumeni" Khumalo, yesterday shocked a packed Pietermaritzburg Regional Court when he asked to be allowed to use muthi in prison.

Sporting dreadlocks, similar to those of the late musician, Gcabashe is facing charges of kidnapping, assault, attempt to escape, rape, theft and two fraud charges.

Gcabashe has been in prison since last year following his "rising from the dead" and shocking appearance - crudely claiming to be Mqqumeni - in Nquthu.

He had told the musician's bemused fans and Mgqumeni's relatives he was the late Maskandi star.

He had spun a yarn that he had been held captive in a cave by a traditional healer who wanted to turn him into a zombie.

"I have visions and see things that other people cannot," Gcabashe said yesterday.

"I have been sent to medical doctors but they have not been able to help because they do not see what I see, I need traditional assistance."

Magistrate Rose Mogwera asked him to specify the kind of assistance he needed.

"I need muthi," he said. "My face changes and other prisoners tend to dislike me when they see me changing.

"This can only be healed traditionally. I have to be granted permission to use muthi inside prison because failure to do so would result in my death."

But his plea was turned down by the court, with Magistrate Mogwera telling him that she had no jurisdiction over prisons.

Before his muthi plea Gcabashe had suffered another blow when his lawyer, Johan Botha, withdrew from representing him. Botha is the second attorney to ditch the fake musician in court.

The case was postponed to November 23.