A traditional healer accused of instructing men to bring him a human head and he would pay them R2-million testified in the Durban High Court yesterday that he had in fact chased away two boys who came to his home selling a head.
Sibonakaliso Mbili, 32, told the court before he went to buy groceries in the morning on August 21, he told the two co-accused - Falakhe Khumalo, 19, and Thuso Stanley Thelejane, 19 - he was not interested in buying the head of Chatsworth mother Desiree Murugan, 37, who was found beheaded at Chatsworth stadium on August 17 last year.
"It was around 8am when Khumalo and Thelejane came to the home. They carried a bag with a human head inside. They told me that they were selling the head.
"I told them to leave because I was not interested in buying."
Mbili told the court he received a call from the police while at the shop. They told him to go back home to make a statement.
"I left everything and took the taxi straight home. When I got home, I found seven police vehicles, and they were already searching the houses."
Mbili said Captain Delani Sithole asked for his cellphone as he wanted to look for evidence on it. Sithole suggested they take a walk, and told Mbili they came to fetch an Indian woman's head which was sold to him.
Mbili denied he had bought an Indian woman's head.
"Sithole told me not to make them fools because they were told that the head was sold to me. He then threatened me about the furious Indian policemen, that he would hand me to them, and they would kill me."
Mbili said police searched the nearby forest, but found nothing.
He was then held at Chatsworth police station for the night.
The next day, Mbili was taken to Sithole's office where he was told to reveal the whereabouts of Murugan's head or Indian policemen would kill him.
"I was told to undress, but they noticed that I didn't have underwear. They told me to cover with the shirt and took pictures. After that I led them to the same forest we searched yesterday."
At the forest, a policeman pointed to an area with soft soil.
He broke a tree branch and started digging and found a plastic bag with the head and two tins.
"They told me to pick up the plastic bag and tins. We went to the police vehicles where they told me to open them and took pictures. After that we went straight to the police station."
The trial continues.
Sangoma denies buying human head
A traditional healer accused of instructing men to bring him a human head and he would pay them R2-million testified in the Durban High Court yesterday that he had in fact chased away two boys who came to his home selling a head.
Sibonakaliso Mbili, 32, told the court before he went to buy groceries in the morning on August 21, he told the two co-accused - Falakhe Khumalo, 19, and Thuso Stanley Thelejane, 19 - he was not interested in buying the head of Chatsworth mother Desiree Murugan, 37, who was found beheaded at Chatsworth stadium on August 17 last year.
"It was around 8am when Khumalo and Thelejane came to the home. They carried a bag with a human head inside. They told me that they were selling the head.
"I told them to leave because I was not interested in buying."
Mbili told the court he received a call from the police while at the shop. They told him to go back home to make a statement.
"I left everything and took the taxi straight home. When I got home, I found seven police vehicles, and they were already searching the houses."
Mbili said Captain Delani Sithole asked for his cellphone as he wanted to look for evidence on it. Sithole suggested they take a walk, and told Mbili they came to fetch an Indian woman's head which was sold to him.
Mbili denied he had bought an Indian woman's head.
"Sithole told me not to make them fools because they were told that the head was sold to me. He then threatened me about the furious Indian policemen, that he would hand me to them, and they would kill me."
Mbili said police searched the nearby forest, but found nothing.
He was then held at Chatsworth police station for the night.
The next day, Mbili was taken to Sithole's office where he was told to reveal the whereabouts of Murugan's head or Indian policemen would kill him.
"I was told to undress, but they noticed that I didn't have underwear. They told me to cover with the shirt and took pictures. After that I led them to the same forest we searched yesterday."
At the forest, a policeman pointed to an area with soft soil.
He broke a tree branch and started digging and found a plastic bag with the head and two tins.
"They told me to pick up the plastic bag and tins. We went to the police vehicles where they told me to open them and took pictures. After that we went straight to the police station."
The trial continues.
Would you like to comment on this article?
Register (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Trending
Latest Videos