Zimbabwe: man kills daughter (1), harvests body parts for rituals

Posted on August 9, 2023 by Dr. F.P.M. van der Kraaij

For the past few days I’ve been reporting on ritual murders (‘mui murders’) in the kingdom of Eswatini (formerly known as Swaziland). Muti murders are not only known in this tiny kingdom where King Mswati III rules as an absolute monarch. Muti murders are known throughout Southern Africa, It’s a sad reality to write down. Zimabwe’s most notorious murder case which shocked this nation when it occurred, in 2020, and also in following years when increasingly more details became known about the gruesome murder of an innocent 7-year old boy by his uncle and namesake, Tapiwa Makore, is still fresh.

Only very recently the murderers of Tapiwa Makore were sentenced to death, yet another ritual murder became known. We will never know how many ‘muti murders’ are committed in Zimbabwe and elsewhere.

Thomas Muzenda, a 38-years old artisinal miner from Gokwe, Zimbabwe, reportedly killed his one-year old daughter to booster his mining business. He butchered her and chopped up the body to get parts for muti purposes. He then reported her missing to cover up his crime.

Warning: the following may upset readers because of its graphic contents.
(FVDK).

Man killed daughter, 1, to boost artisanal mining business: police

‘The suspect confessed to the police that he killed his daughter with a knife for ritual purposes to allegedly boost his mining activities.

Shocking murder … A one-year-old girl was killed by her father in a “sacrifice”

Published: August 5, 2023
By: ZimLife

….an artisanal miner also confessed to killing his 1-year-old daughter in Gokwe to boost his artisanal mining business….

Meanwhile (…), in another incident (…), an artisanal miner has admitted to killing his daughter who is aged 1 year, 2 months.

Said the police, “On 2 August 2023, police in Gokwe arrested an artisanal miner, Thomas Muzenda, 38, of Village 17 Mupukuta, Chireya Gokwe North, in connection with the callous murder of his daughter, Nenyasha Muzenda, 1 year 2 months, who had been reported missing.

“Police have since recovered the remains of the victim from a disused well at Zenda Mining area, Gokwe North.”

Source: Man killed daughter, 1, to boost artisanal mining business: police

More details:

Man kills daughter (1), harvests body parts for rituals

Published: August 6, 2023
By: Bulawayo 24 News

In a spine chilling ritual murder, a 38-year-old man killed his daughter (1) and chopped up the body to get parts for muti purposes.

Thomas Muzenda, an artisinal miner (umakorokoza) from Gokwe, reportedly butchered Nenyasha Muzenda with a knife, then reported her missing to cover up the grisly offence.

Muzenda was arrested on 2 August 2023.

Without giving much detail, police took to twitter and said, ‘’ On 02/08/23, Police in Gokwe arrested an artisanal miner, Thomas Muzenda (38) of Village 17 Mupukuta, Chireya Gokwe North, in connection with the callous murder of his daughter, Nenyasha Muzenda (1 year 2 months), who had been reported missing.

“The suspect confessed to the police that he killed his daughter with a knife for ritual purposes to allegedly boost his mining activities after approaching a traditional healer only identified as Dhumba. Police have since recovered the remains of the victim from a disused well at Zenda Mining area, Gokwe North,” read the tweet.

Source: Man kills daughter (1), harvests body parts for rituals

More reports on the same muti murder:

Man Kills Daughter(1) To Boost Mining Business

Published: August 7, 2023
By: ZimEye News

A horrifying incident has unfolded in Gokwe, Zimbabwe, as an artisanal miner, Thomas Muzenda (38), has been apprehended by the police for the brutal murder of his one-year-old daughter, Nenyasha Muzenda.

Startling details emerged when Muzenda confessed to the heinous act, revealing that he took the innocent life in a ritualistic act aimed at bolstering his mining endeavours. The sh0cking incident has sent sh0ckwaves through the community, highlighting the desperate lengths some individuals may go to in the pursuit of wealth and success.

The tragic events unfolded when Nenyasha Muzenda was reported missing, prompting a police investigation in Gokwe, a region known for its artisanal mining activities. During questioning, Thomas Muzenda sh0ckingly admitted to authorities that he had murdered his own daughter as part of a ritual intended to enhance his mining business. Allegedly, Muzenda had sought the assistance of a traditional healer named Dhumba, who advised him that such a gruesome act would bring prosperity and success to his mining activities.

Following Muzenda’s confession, the police conducted a search and ultimately discovered the remains of the young victim in a disused well located at the Zenda mining area in Gokwe North. The gruesome find further confirmed the harrowing nature of the crime and left the community in a state of sh0ck and disbelief.

Meanwhile, the police are urging anyone with information regarding the murder of Clemence Mwale (30) to come forward and assist with the investigation. Mwale was fatally attacked by unknown assailants on August 3 in Dzivaresekwa, and the authorities are seeking any leads that could shed light on the circumstances surrounding this tragic event.

The arrest of Thomas Muzenda has sent sh0ckwaves throughout Zimbabwe, prompting a broader conversation about the lengths some individuals may go to in their pursuit of success. The incident serves as a stark reminder of the importance of ethical practices and the need to safeguard vulnerable members of society. – My Zimbabwe News

Source: Man Kills Daughter(1) To Boost Mining Business

AND MORE:

Dad kills daughter to boost mining business
Published: August 7, 2023
By: NewsdzeZimbabwe

Artisanal miner killed daughter for ritual purposes
Published: August 7, 2023
By: The Herald, Zimbabwe

Opinion – Tapiwa Makore: The evil men do

Posted on August 4, 2023 by Dr. F.P.M. van der Kraaij

The brutal death of 7-year old Tapiwa Makore not only shocked people in Zimbabwe. Also in neighbouring countries people followed Zimbabwe’s most notorious ritual murder case. After all, ‘muti murders’ are well known in Southern Africa.

The following article was written by Prof. Jairos Kangira, who writes from Namibia.

Warning: Some readers may find the following article disturbing.
(FVDK).

Opinion – Tapiwa Makore: The evil men do

Prof. Jairos Kangira – University of Namibia | UNAM · Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
PhD in Rhetoric Studies (University of Cape Town)

Published: August 1, 2023
By: Prof Jairos Kangira – New Era Live, Namibia

Last month, when the Zimbabwe High Court sentenced to death the two murderers who brutally murdered seven-year old boy, Tapiwa Makore, for rituals in 2020, there was a sigh of relief in his family and among a groundswell of sympathisers in that country and internationally that had been traumatised by the horrific act of the convicts, Tapiwa Makore senior (the boy’s uncle) and Tafadzwa Shamba. Ironically, Tapiwa Makore senior killed his namesake, his brother’s son named after him.

Both the traditional media and social media were awash with stories and comments saying that the death sentence was an appropriate punishment for the two heartless men who killed Tapiwa and cut his body into parts after severing his head. That the killers cooked the boy’s head and took it to a traditional healer for muti purposes in Mozambique shows that some barbaric African beliefs in ritual killings still exist in some people’s sociocultural milieu in Zimbabwe.

The killers’ motive in kidnapping the boy and murdering him on that fateful day was to use their victim’s body parts for muti to boost a cabbage business. In normal senses, people may ask what connection there is between human body parts and cabbages which need sufficient manure, fertiliser and water, not human blood, to grow.

Senseless and irrational to think that their cabbage business could flourish by ritual killing. That the killers summoned the angels of death to play an oversight role as they butchered the innocent primary school boy for business purposes indicated the devils in them. For committing this dastardly and inhuman act, some have argued, these murderers deserved a worse punishment than the death penalty, if something like that exists. Others have argued that the two ritual killers must have their limbs cut off before they are finally hanged so that they can feel the pain before they die. This illustrates the depth of the contempt people have of these murderers.

This cold-blooded murder has led many rightful thinking people to question the sanctity and essence of human life, when a small boy can lose his life just like that to elders who should have protected him in the first place. Is life really worth living? Is life sacrosanct? Is life sacred?

These rhetorical questions come into one’s head when one hears about horrendous stories of the ritual killings of children. There are many moral verses in the Bible on what Jesus said about the care and innocence of children such as the seven-year-old Tapiwa Makore who unnecessarily had his life cut short at a tender age.

I find this verse as one of the appropriate quotes of what Jesus said about children: “If anyone causes one of these little ones – those who believe in me – to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea (Matthew 18:6). This verse pronounces a death sentence to those who do bad things to innocent children. I am not a preacher, and I am not attempting to be one here. The point I am making is that, truly speaking, the chilling murder of Tapiwa Makore is a negation of what Jesus said about treatment of children.

Instead of giving him love and kindness, the brutish elders drugged the unsuspecting boy using an illicit brew before they killed him and dismembered his lifeless body. A callous act, indeed.

When I was discussing Tapiwa Makore’s fate with my colleagues recently, we concluded that we could have faced the same fate when we were young. Each of us recounted the countless times we would be sent on errands by our parents to some remote villages on our own. We oftentimes looked after livestock in the plains and forests where we could have easily become victims of murder by unscrupulous elders from our villages or strangers.

Truly, the murder of Tapiwa Makore is like fiction. It is a story best described as hell has no fire.

Professor Jairos Kangira is a professor of English at the University of Namibia. Email address: kjairos@gmail.com

Source: Opinion – Tapiwa Makore: The evil men do

Zimbabwe – The Tapiwa Makore ritual murder case: Mystery of Tapiwa Makore’s missing head finally solved

Posted on July 24, 2023 by Dr. F.P.M. van der Kraaij

It is one of Zimbabwe’s most notorious ritual murder cases. The violent death of 7-year old Tapiwa Makore upset the Zimbabwean nation since it occurred in 2020.

Tapiwa Makore was a 7-year-old boy from Makore Village under Chief Mangwende in Murewa District, Mashonaland East Province who was brutally murdered for ritualistic purposes on 17 September 2020.

Much has been said and published about this ritual murder case, also on this site. I will not repeat the background. Interested readers can find all information by using the dropdown menu of the present site, chose the country ‘Zimbabwe’ and search for ‘Tapiwa Makore’.
(FVDK).

Warning: the graphic contents of some articles may upset readers (webmaster FVDK).

Mystery of Tapiwa Makore’s missing head finally solved: convicted murderer’s uncle reveals gory details
Source: Mystery of Tapiwa Makore’s Missing Head Finally Solved: Convicted Murderer’s Uncle Reveals Gory Details

Blood Ties And Deadly Deals: The Chilling Story Behind Tapiwa Makore’s Sacrifice For A Lucrative Business Empire
Source: Blood Ties And Deadly Deals: The Chilling Story Behind Tapiwa Makore’s Sacrifice For A Lucrative Business Empire

Murdered Tapiwa Makore’s head roasted
Source: Murdered Tapiwa Makore’s Head Roasted

Tapiwa killers’ family bizarre claim
Source: Tapiwa Killers’ family bizarre claim

Tapiwa Makore’s family relocates to Harare
Source: Tapiwa Makore’s Family Relocates To Harare

There’s an abundance of publications, as shown below: :

https://www.newzimbabwe.com/judgement-on-tapiwa-makores-murder-to-be-handed-down-thursday/

https://zwnews.com/d-day-for-tapiwa-makores-alleged-murderers/

https://www.zimlive.com/justice-at-last-as-uncle-convicted-of-tapiwa-makore-ritual-murder/

https://www.herald.co.zw/two-found-guilty-of-murdering-tapiwa-makore/

https://www.newzimbabwe.com/tapiwa-makore-murder-killer-uncle-herdsman-convicted/

https://iharare.com/tapiwa-makores-killers-found-guilty-nation-rejoices-as-tapiwa-makore-snr-and-tafadzwa-shamba-convicted-of-brutal-murder/

https://zwnews.com/tapiwa-makore-drugged-killed-to-boost-makore-snrs-cabbage-business-in-murehwa/

https://www.zimeye.net/2023/06/29/breaking-shamba-and-tapiwa-makore-snr-found-guilty-of-killing-7y-old/

https://www.theindependent.co.zw/local-news/article/200013350/tapiwa-makore-killers-convicted

https://www.pindula.co.zw/2023/06/29/justice-for-tapiwa-makore-murder-suspects-await-verdict-in-harare-high-court/

http://www.newsdzezimbabwe.co.uk/2023/06/tapiwa-was-killed-for-cabbages.html

https://www.pindula.co.zw/2023/06/30/tapiwa-makores-father-says-he-hoped-killers-would-reveal-the-whereabouts-of-boys-head/

https://iharare.com/justice-served-tapiwa-makores-killers-sentenced-to-death-for-brutal-ritual-murder/

https://www.sundaymail.co.zw/new-tapiwa-makore-killers-get-death-sentence

https://www.herald.co.zw/tapiwa-makore-killers-sentenced-to-death/

https://www.pindula.co.zw/2023/07/12/tapiwa-makores-killers-sentenced-to-death/

https://www.pindula.co.zw/2023/07/11/tapiwa-makores-killers-to-be-sentenced-today/

https://www.thezimbabwemail.com/main/tapiwa-makores-murderers-sentenced-to-death/

https://iharare.com/justice-served-tapiwa-makores-killers-sentenced-to-death-for-brutal-ritual-murder/

https://www.sundaymail.co.zw/new-tapiwa-makore-killers-get-death-sentence

https://www.herald.co.zw/tapiwa-makore-killers-sentenced-to-death/

https://www.newzimbabwe.com/heart-wrenching-scenes-at-tapiwa-makore-judgment-as-mother-calls-for-his-spirit-to-avenge/

https://www.zimeye.net/2023/07/12/breaking-tapiwa-makore-killers-sentenced-to-death/

https://www.zimeye.net/2023/07/12/tapiwa-makore-murderers-to-be-sentenced-today/

https://www.herald.co.zw/justice-has-prevailed-at-last-say-victims-parents/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tz4FKrCA4WY

Zimbabwe: High Court to deliver ruling in the Tapiwa Makore ritual murder case on June 29

Posted on June 27, 2023 by Dr. F.P.M. van der Kraaij

Much has already been said and written about the notorious Tapiwa Makore ritual murder case which shocked Zimbabwe in 2020 and 2021. I have extensively reported on the brutal ritual murder of the 7-year old boy, Tapiwa Makore. See for a succinct overview my postings dated October 26, 2020 and April 25, 2021.

I ceased reporting on this murder case on October 26, 2021 but promised to continue to follow this case and to come back on this place with more news once it will have become available.

In October 2022 the two accused – Tafadzwa Shamba and the late boy’s uncle and namesake Tapiwa Makore Senior – were acquitted in a surprising turn of events. The State withdrew the charges against the two for lack of incriminating evidence.

On June 29, the High Court of Zimbabwe is set to deliver judgement on Tapiwa Makore’s alleged ritual killers. Thereafter the case wil be closed. Hence, read the following report.

For the reader who is less familiar with this notorious ritual murder case I may refer to my two postings mentioned above and to the link included in the article which follows below and which can be accessed separately here as well as after the first article below.

Warning: some readers may be upset because of the graphic description of the Tapiwa Makore ritual murder and following events (webmaster FVDK).

High Court To Deliver Ruling On Tapiwa Makore’s Alleged Killers On 29 June

Published: June 26, 2023
By: Pindula News, Zimbabwe

The High Court is set to deliver judgement on Tapiwa Makore’s suspected killers on Thursday, reported ZBC News.

Justice Munamato Mutevedzi, who presided over the trial, is expected to hand down the long-awaited judgment, bringing the matter to finality.

The prime suspect in the matter, Tafadzwa Shamba and his accomplice, the late boy’s uncle and namesake, Tapiwa Makore Senior, allegedly killed the boy in 2020 for ritual purposes.

They allegedly killed and mutilated the then seven-year-old boy to boost Tapiwa Snr’s cabbage business.

Tapiwa was a Grade One learner at Nyamutumbu Primary School and his teacher, Keresia Makamure, described him as an intelligent, obedient child whose future was bright.

The boy was sent by his parents to look after the garden on the morning of 17 September 2020.

Later that day, Tapiwa’s parents went to the garden to do some watering and found that their son was missing.

His parents and some villagers started searching for him and the search was conducted until midnight but they could not find him.

On the following day, 18 September, in the morning, a neighbour reportedly woke up and discovered his dog and its puppies feasting on human body parts in his yard.

He then informed Tapiwa’s parents and a report was made to the police. The body’s head was missing.

Several arrests people were arrested in connection with the murder, including Thanks Makore, Tapiwa’s uncle amid allegations that he was given the boy’s head and arms.

Thanks was said to be a twin brother of Tapiwa Makore Snr, and a cousin of Munyaradzi Makore, Tapiwa Makore Jnr’s father.

On 13 October 2022, Justice Mutevedzi formally acquitted Thanks Makore and another suspect Moud Hunidzarira of the murder of Tapiwa Makore Jnr at the close of the prosecution case.

Hunidzarira of Budiriro, Harare, was arrested during the weekend of 31 October and 01 November 2020 following a tip-off by the public.

It was alleged that she was in Murewa when the murder occurred and a few days later was seen by some neighbours in Harare, cleaning an item that had blood.

However, the State withdrew the charges against the two for lack of incriminating evidence.

As the charges were withdrawn after plea, the two can never be retried using any of the evidence led during their trial.

Source: High Court To Deliver Ruling On Tapiwa Makore’s Alleged Killers On 29 June

An important background document on the Tapiwa Makore ritual murder case is the following:

Tapiwa Makore was a 7-year-old boy from Makore Village under Chief Mangwende in Murewa District, Mashonaland East Province who was brutally murdered on 17 September 2020 in a suspected ritual killing. He was the son of Linda Munyori and Munyaradzi Makore.

He was a Grade One learner at Nyamutumbu Primary School and his teacher was Keresia Makamure who described him as an intelligent, obedient child whose future was bright.^[1]

Background

Tapiwa Makore Junior was sent by his parents to look after the garden on the morning of 17 September 2020.^[2]

Later that day, Tapiwa’s parents went to the garden to do some watering and found that their son was missing.

His parents and some villagers started searching for him and the search was conducted until midnight but they could not find him.

On the following day, 18 September, in the morning, a neighbour reportedly woke up and discovered his dog and its puppies feasting on human body parts in his yard.

He then informed Tapiwa’s parents and a report was made to the police. The body’s head was missing.

Arrests

Herdboy, Tafadzwa Shamba

On 24 September 2020, the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) arrested Tafadzwa Shamba (40), on kidnap and murder charges in connection with Tapiwa’s disappearance and murder.^[3]

Shamba, a herdboy, was alleged to have connived with two other people to kill Tapiwa, harvest his body parts, and sold them for US$1 500. ZRP spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi said:

It is alleged that Tafadzwa Shamba, a herd boy in the same village as the victim, worked with the other suspects to waylay the victim in a garden. They took him to a mountain where they kept him for the whole day. They then killed him at night and one of the other suspects, who is from Juru Growth Point, took away the head leaving the herd boy with the other body parts after promising to give him US$1 500 on coming back.

Police said they recovered the blood-stained clothes Shamba wore on the day he allegedly committed the crime.

Uncle, Tapiwa Makore

Tapiwa’s uncle and namesake, Tapiwa Makore was arrested by the police on 27 September 2020 in connection with the boy’s murder.^[4]

Tapiwa Senior was alleged to have worked with Shamba and a witch doctor to murder Tapiwa Junior and harvest his body parts.

Moud Hunidzarira

Moud Hunidzarira of Budiriro, Harare, was arrested during the weekend of 31 October and 01 November 2020 following a tip-off by the public.^[5]

It was alleged that Hunidzarira was in Murewa when the murder occurred and a few days later was seen by some neighbours in Harare, cleaning an item that had blood.

She initially appeared before a Murewa magistrate on 02 November 2022 and was remanded in custody.

Two Murewa Villagers

Two Murewa villagers only identified as Mai Mungandire and Mai Katsande were arrested after information gathered revealed they bought human flesh from Shamba.^[6]

Another report identified the two women as Joina Tangirire, who sold beer at her homestead, and a relative, Enia Tangirire.

Beulah Makore, the family spokesperson was reported as saying the two women were picked up by the police on 01 November and they both admitted that they bought meat from the alleged killer but had no idea that it was human flesh.

The two women reportedly cooked the meat and ate and were taken to Murewa police station for further questioning and were also ordered to carry the pots that they used to cook the meat.

11-year-old Boy

An 11-year-old boy from Nyamutumbu Village was allegedly paid US$5 to lure Tapiwa from the garden to his uncle’s homestead.^[7]

Tapiwa Makore (Snr) allegedly gave the boy $5 plus a T-shirt for his role and warned him against disclosing the matter to other villagers.

The boy is said to have handed over the money to his mother who kept the secret.

The mother is said to have used the money to buy chicken.

He was expected to testify as a witness in the murder trial.

Uncle, Thanks Makore

Thanks Makore (56) was arrested on 10 November 2020 in connection with the ritual murder of his nephew, Tapiwa, amid allegations that he was given the boy’s head and arms.^[8]

Thanks was said to be a twin brother of Tapiwa Makore Snr, and a cousin of Munyaradzi Makore, Tapiwa Makore Jnr’s father.

Tafadzwa Shamba’s Confession

On 29 September 2020, Shamba reportedly told detectives he killed the boy by cutting off the head with a knife in the dead of the night, while the boy’s uncle, Tapiwa Senior was holding a torch.^[9]

He said after the murder, he carried a black plastic bag containing the head and the dismembered body while his employer, Tapiwa Makore Senior, carried another bag containing the arms and legs.

Shamba also revealed that he kidnapped the boy, took him to his employer’s house, fed him and then drugged him with kachasu and locked him up in a room for hours.

He said around midnight, he carried the boy to a mountain in the village where they killed him.

Shamba said after killing the boy, they went down the mountain and along the way, he dumped the torso near Summer Murwira’s homestead.

He said they took the head to Makore’s homestead where they put it in one of the rooms.

The following day, Shamba said he dumped the arms and legs at a nearby grave.

Tafadzwa Shamba’s Retraction

During his court appearance, Shamba disowned the confession he had allegedly made to the police soon after his arrest.^[10]

He claimed that he made indications under duress on how he killed Tapiwa, adding the police had crafted the narration to suit what they wanted.

But High Court Judge Justice Munamato Mutevedzi on 10 October 2022 ruled it was clear that Shamba was not forced into giving his account of events. Ruled the judge:

He (Shamba) gave indications under the belief that the second accused wanted him to go to prison so that he could enjoy the benefits of the cabbage deals they intended to benefit from after killing the minor for rituals.
It is the court’s view that his story is preposterous, he wanted to show the court that his indications were rehearsed, but positive results came out from the confessions as it led to the recovery of the body parts. If it was rehearsed the police would not have recovered the body parts.
His explanation that he wanted to exonerate himself by incriminating the second accused does not make sense.
Thinking he was exonerating himself by confessing is stupidity in the highest order, the daftness he tried to show in court was not believable.

Tapiwa’s Burial

Tapiwa was buried on 27 March 2021, about six months after his gruesome murder. He was buried without his head after the police failed to locate it.^[11]

His funeral was attended by scores of people who included politicians from ZANU PF, among them Mashonaland East Minister Apollonia Munzverengwi, Housing Minister Daniel Garwe, Chief Mangwende and Murewa senator and ZANU PF Politburo member, David Parirenyatwa.

His father, Munyaradzi, was the MDC Alliance branch chairperson in Murewa North.

Thanks Makore, Moud Hunidzarira Acquittal

On 13 October 2022, High Court judge Justice Munamato Mutevedzi formally acquitted Moud Hunidzarira and Thanks Makore of the murder of Tapiwa Makore Jnr at the close of the prosecution case.^[12]

The State withdrew the charges against the two for lack of incriminating evidence.

As the charges were withdrawn after plea, the two can never be retried using any of the evidence led during their trial.

However, the prime suspects, who allegedly did the actual killing, Tafadzwa Shamba and Tapiwa Makore Snr, were placed on their defence after the court found there was overwhelming evidence linking them with the murder.

South Africa: Limpopo courts to hear several cases including the 2006 muti murder of Ronnie Makgatho

Posted on June 1, 2023 by Dr. F.P.M. van der Kraaij

‘Justice delayed is justice denied’ but: the High Court in Polokwane will continue the trial of four businessmen and a woman who are suspected of killing Ronnie Makgatho for ritual purposes in 2006.

An amazing aspect of this murder case is that there is no dead body. The body of the victim, Ronnie Makgatho, was never found. Therefor it is to be seen if this trial wil end in a guilty verdict. How can you find someone guilty of murder when there’s no dead body?

Two of the five accused share the family name of the victim, Ronnie Makgatho. It is not uncommon that relatives are involved in ritualistic murders.

The first article presented below is silent on the background of the murder and also lacks many details. However, it seems obvious that this is a case of ‘muti’ murder, a ritualistic murder, based on superstition and motivated by greed.

The second article, published by Polokwane Weekly and shared on Facebook, contains more information. Warning: Some readers may find this story disturbing because of its explicit graphic content (webmaster FVDK).

Limpopo courts to hear several cases this week

*High Court in Polokwane, Limpopo* – *Image: Twitter@SECTION27news*

Published:May 28, 2023
By: Mahlatse Phaladi – SABC News

Several high-profile criminal cases will be heard in the High Court in Polokwane and other courts in Limpopo, starting from Monday.

(….)

Ritual killing

Another trial of four businessmen and a woman arrested for allegedly killing Ronnie Makgatho in 2006 will continue in the High Court in Polokwane.

The accused, Marcus Makgatho, Joshua Hlako, Hlako Mohafe, Khumbelo Mabirimisa and co-accused Amanda Makgatho allegedly killed Makgatho for ritual purposes.

Makgatho was reported missing in Soshanguve, north of Pretoria.

The remains of Makgatho were never found.

Source: Limpopo courts to hear several cases this week

More background information pertaining to this case:

EXCLUSIVE | HOW RONNY MAKGATHO WAS MURDERED

WARNING: NOT FOR SENSITIVE READERS

Published: May 12, 2022
By: Polokwane Weekly / Facebook

SESHEGO: A state witness in the murder case of Ronny Makgatho has detailed a chilling confession of the victim was killed.

The witness was testifying at the Seshego Magistrate’s Court during a bail application of the murder accused on Wednesday.

According to the witness, Marcus Makgatho traveled to Soshanguve Extension 4 where the victim was staying.

The witness says that Amanda Makgato alongside their accomplices forced the victim into the car and drove from Soshanguve to Seshego, where he was locked up in a shack.

The state witness said that Hlako and Makgato were both holding Ronnie Makgato’s hands and legs before he was brutally murdered for alleged business related rituals.

The witness has also told the court that the accused number 4 Khumbelo Mabirimisa was also present with an unknown woman.

He also told the court that the accused indicated that it was time to start with the job, before beginning with the murder process.

The witness said that Hlako said the victim should die a slow death when they were cutting him with a knife, so that they can get a lot of his blood. The witness also said that there were a bucket that was used to collect his blood.

The state witness also told the court that Ronnie Makgato’s body parts were cut by the accused.

The head was taken to Hlako’s Tarven, hands were taken to Makgato’s lodge. Other body parts were also taken to Hlako’s farm.

The court also heard that after taking the body parts of the victim to the accused’s businesses, the remaining part was buried at the same house.

The murder accused were all denied bail on Wednesday.

Source: EXCLUSIVE | HOW RONNY MAKGATHO WAS MURDERED

Also read: Muti murder confession sends police on wild goose chase
Published: April 28, 2022
By: Kamogelo Olaitan – Scrolla

Screenshot – excerpt from original article. Read the full article here

and:

‘Muthi’ killing, shallow grave, relative bust

It has emerged that Ronald Makgato, who went missing in 2006, was killed for muthi-related purpose.

Published: April 19, 2022
By: Daily Sun

THE Makgato family was left shocked when a family member and his friend were arrested on Wednesday, 13 April.

They were bust by Seshego cops in Limpopo for the kidnapping and murder of Ronald Makgato, who went missing 16 years ago.

Ronald (27) from Mamehlabe Village, Ga-Matlala disappeared in 2006 while staying in Soshanguve, Tshwane.

A witness tipped off his family and the police in 2020.

It’s believed that one of Ronald’s relatives and his friend allegedly killed the victim for muthi purposes, and they apparently buried his body in a shallow grave.

Ronald’s sister, Granny Makgato-Leboho, said it has been hard for the family not knowing their brother’s whereabouts. “When the police arrested my relative and his friend, we knew we were close to getting the truth about what happened to my brother.”

She said the witness told them that Ronald was given a drug before he was taken to Zone 4 in Seshego, where he was murdered.

“We were told he was dismembered and his body parts were taken for muthi purposes. It’s so painful that my own relative saw it fit to kill his own for his evil intentions.”

Limpopo police spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Mamphaswa Seabi confirmed that two suspects, both aged 64, were bust and charged with kidnapping, conspiracy to commit murder and murder.

“They briefly appeared in the Seshego Magistrates Court last Thursday, and their matter was postponed to 28 April for formal bail application while the police investigations continues. The body of Ronald has not yet been recovered,” Seabi said.

Source: ‘Muthi’ killing, shallow grave, relative bust

Zimbabwe grapples with ritual murders

Posted on February 27, 2023 by Dr. F.P.M. van der Kraaij

Murder cases show a rising trend in Zimbabwe, according to statistics released by the Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency. In 2018 more than 1,450 murders were reported, this number increased to more than 1,700 cases in 2019 and to nearly 3,600 cases in the two-year period between January 1, 2020 and December 31, 2021. The yearly average of 1,500-1,600 murder cases means that each month more than 100 persons are being murdered.

It is not known how many ritualistic murders (‘muti murders’) are included in this yearly average of 1,500 – 1,600 victims. Statistics only reveal part of the truth. By definition, ‘muti murders’ are murders committed in secret, and some victims (statistically recorded as ‘missing persons’) are never found. Only discovered bodies of victims with ‘parts’ (often organs) missing indicate that a murder for ritualistic purposes has been committed, but even then one has to be careful and not jump to conclusions as the perpetrator(s) may intentionally mislead the investigators by removing body parts.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, the occurrence of ritual murders constitutes a problem in this Southern Africa country (as it does in neighboring countries). Recently, a debate on the persistent problem of muti murders arose after the discovery of a mutilated body in Greystone Parts, near Hatfield, in Mashonaland East and southeast of the capital Harare.

In the article presented below also reference is made to the notorious Tapiwah Makore case, referring to the seven-year old boy who was murdered for ritualistic purposes by his uncle in 2020 (see previous posts). But, as the article relates, Tapiwah Makoreh (also spelled as Tapiwa Makore) was not the only or last victim of unscrupulous murderers who are driven by greed and superstition. Unfortunately, the discovery of the dead body of Faith Musonza in Greystone Park only confirms this sad conclusion. (webmaster FVDK)

Zimbabwe grapples with ritual murders

**Some people blame witch doctors for rising cases of ritual murders**

Published: February 26, 2023
By: Staff reporter – The Zimbabwe Mail

IT is late afternoon in the heart of Greystone Park, some 20 kilometres from Hatfield, where the gruesome murder of Spar employee Faith Musonza is said to have occurred.

A relative’s home in Greystone Park is where her funeral is taking place.

A gentle breeze steadily blows across the yard as if everything is normal, but this is not the case.

Mourners have been stunned into silence as they struggle to come to terms with the sad news of Musonza’s untimely death.

“We are still trying to process everything; it feels like a dream,” said one of the relatives who appeared non-plussed at the funeral wake.

Musonza’s husband, Fradreck Chasara, was visibly disturbed, as he unsteadily alternated between a black leather couch and the carpeted floor.

Musonza was recently killed in Hatfield by unknown assailants as she headed to her rented house in Cranborne from work.

Her mutilated body was found dumped in a storm drain. Heinous crimes involving grisly murders have become prevalent of late. The sanctity of human life is no longer being observed.

In 2020, the nation woke up to news of the callous murder of seven-year-old Tapiwa Makore in a suspected ritual killing.

He was buried the following year, with his head still missing. The incident left many with a lot of unanswered questions.

Last year, in Nyanga, two related seven-year-olds were found dead in a disused house in the village, with their throats cut open and blood drained.

Several other murder cases have been reported across the country.

According to the Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency, the number of murder cases continue to rise with each passing year. At least 1 453 cases were recorded in 2018, before rising to 1 733 the following year. Between January 2020 and December 2021, 3 583 cases were recorded.

Overall, the cases averaged between 1 500 and 1 600 every year.

“A murder case is recorded every week; in some situations, even two or more, with the trend growing in all provinces,” said Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) spokesperson, Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi.

Most of the killings, he said, are associated with infidelity, alcohol abuse and rituals. Statistics from the Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Service (ZPCS) also corroborate the same trend.

“In January 2021, we had 630 people incarcerated for murder and the figure rose to 845 by October that same year.

“In January 2022, we had 817 and the figure stood at 984 by November,” said ZPCS.

Mental health issues

Psychologist and University of Johannesburg post-doctoral researcher Dr John Ringson believes most murders are caused by mental health issues.

“When one is mentally unstable, even a small argument can trigger aggression. We have had cases of people who committed murder for beer or small amounts of money. Mental health issues need to be addressed at national level,” he said.

Drugs and substance abuse, he added, were also causing mental health challenges that push people to commit crimes.

Traditionalist Mbuya Calista Magorimbo says some bogus witch doctors who encourage harvesting of body parts for rituals (kuromba) to boost business fortunes are also causing the unnecessary loss of human lives.

“Ritual killings for purposes of becoming wealthy have existed since time immemorial. However, the situation has since gone out of hand due to prevailing economic hardships,” she said.

“Some even harvest body parts for charms to make them powerful at work or to get healed from certain ailments. Women and children are often murder targets.”

She, however, argues that such rituals have never been proved to be effective.

“This is pure cultism, which yields nothing but generational curses, yet some people believe it actually works. Murder only brings trouble!” she warned.

Killings only attract avenging spirits and generational curses, according to Sekuru Peter Maponda, which he believes only serve to perpetuate a vicious circle of crime and murder. Roman Catholic priest Father Paul Mayeresa says avenging spirits exist.

“The Bible values the sanctity of life and does not allow killing under any circumstances. Some murders are due to either temporary or permanent insanity, while others are premeditated revenge,” he said.

“Avenging spirits exist and depending on the relatives of the deceased and their spirituality, some families end up forgiving the perpetrators while others prefer to let the dead fight from the grave.”

House of Refuge International Ministries founder Apostle Partson Machengete is of the opinion that “poverty has left most people desperate to get rich overnight”.

“As a result, they are forced to believe myths that ostensibly offer solutions to their problems. Witch doctors are fleecing the vulnerable and pushing them into unholy acts. They are made to believe the rituals will make them rich.”

He, however, feels some murder cases are genuine accidents and, in some instances, a result of self-defence.

Remedy

There is consensus that communities need to be sensitised on the need to observe the sanctity of human life.

“We need all stakeholders to come together and formulate programmes that educate the community on the issues and bridge existing gaps,” urges Laws of Attraction psychologist Blessed Chinyangare.

“There is a human element and a spiritual element to this issue, hence it has to be tackled from both ends.”

Headman Zvinowanda Pfumbidzai of Machera village in Hwedza said in murder cases, the funerals and burials should be different from ordinary ones.

In African tradition, he said, murder invites curses for both the victim and the perpetrator’s families, hence rituals become necessary to cleanse the parties involved.

“Traditionally, the wronged family conducts rituals — kureverera — to provoke the spirit of the deceased to go and get revenge, so, in return, the murderer should pay damages — kuripa.

“The victim’s family should be given room to indicate their price during the process. Likewise, the victim’s family should also conduct a cleansing ceremony,” he said.

Meanwhile, in neighbouring South Africa, murder cases reportedly increased by 22 percent since 2012.

Most of the killings usually occur between Friday and Sunday.

The South African Police Service has since deployed desk-based police officers to the streets, particularly in identified hotspots, while dedicated detectives track and arrest suspects wanted for violent crimes. – Sunday Mail

Source: Zimbabwe grapples with ritual murders

Uganda: why human sacrifices still thrive in Kayunga District

Posted on November 13, 2022 by Dr. F.P.M. van der Kraaij

Many of my postings on this site refer to reported or suspected ritual murder cases in West Africa. However, this phenomenon dating from ancient times also exists in other regions of Sub-Saharan Africa. Superstition and the greed for power, wealth or good health constitute the main driving forces behind the crimes of ritual murder, human sacrifice and/or ritual cannibalism.

In East Africa ritualistic murders are rife in Uganda. As mentioned below, according to the 2013 Child Sacrifice and Mutilations Report, one child is killed for rituals every week. A mind blowing statistic. Within Uganda the Kayunga District has earned the dubious reputation of being one of the most notorious killing places. Read the breath taking article below; the reader is warned as it contains graphic details.

Uganda is one of an increasing number of SSA countries where human sacrifice and ritualistic murders have become crimes which carry the death penalty. Many countries and international initiatives have outlawed the capital punishment, but several African countries take a different course, notably to contain and/or eradicate ritual murders. The big question is whether the death penalty, which is not always executed, will bring us closer to a society where people no longer fear falling victim to ritual killers. Or should we look for another approach the eradicate this scourge of ignorance and superstition?

PS For an interesting plea to abolish the death penalty the reader is invited to read the following article: ‘Death of Death Penalty in Ghana‘ or click here.
(webmaster FVDK)

Why human sacrifices still thrive in Kayunga

*A suspect digs up a place where he claimed to have buried a child in Kayunga District last year. PHOTO/FRED MUZAALE*

Published: November 11, 2022
By: Fred Muzaale – Monitor, Uganda

What you need to know:

Police say most victims of human sacrifices are children because they are easier to abduct and seen as “pure” and of “higher ritual value.”
Last year, President Museveni passed the Prevention and Prohibition of Human Sacrifice Bill 2021, which criminalises the act of human sacrifice.

————————————————————————————————————–

On a hot Monday afternoon at Kayunga Court premises in Kayunga District, Allan Ssembatya walks with his head lowered.

Visibly not in a good mood, he is in the company of a man and a woman. The two grown-ups are his mother and father.

The 19-year-old Ssembatya’s forehead bares a big scar that he sustained after he was cut with a machete by two men during an attempted ritual murder incident in 2009. He was by then 6 years old.
Fortunately, Ssembatya, now in Senior One, survived, but lost both of his testicles. Because of the cut inflicted on his head, he now has persistent headaches and nightmares.

A resident of Busolo Village in Kayunga Sub-county, Ssembatya spent one month in a coma after the incident.

“Doctors who examined him after the attack said he would not be able to bear children. This is purely a case of human sacrifice,” Ms Sarah Tumusiime, the Kayunga Chief Magistrate, revealed during a court session last month.

She sentenced the convicts; Paul Ngaswireki and Awali Kivumbi, both residents of Busolo Village, who were found guilty of committing the offence, to 40 years each in prison.

According to Ssembatya’s father, his son was attacked by the two men when he had gone to the garden to harvest a jackfruit. He was later left fighting for his life in a forest.

Ssembatya’s case is the latest among such incidents, but Kayunga District has had numerous human sacrifice-related incidents.

In March 2020, a 60-year-old man in Kakoola Village, Kitimbwa Sub-county, was beheaded and his head taken by unknown assailants.

The torso was later recovered from a bush. Two witch doctors were arrested in connection with this incident although the whereabouts of the human skull is still unknown.

Additionally, a traditional healer in Kisoga Village, Nazigo Sub-county, was arrested in 2018 after five bodies were found buried in his shrine. He was sentenced to life imprisonment by Mukono High Court.

Last year, a father in Bbaale Sub-county was arrested after he allegedly killed two of his children over ritual sacrifice. He confessed to the act claiming he was promised Shs2m.

Ms Beatrice Ajwang, the Kayunga District officer-in-charge of the Criminal Investigations Department, said most of the suspects arrested in connection with such acts are “traditional healers and people who want to get rich quickly”.

Ms Ajwang said most victims of human sacrifices are children, apparently because they are easier to abduct and seen as “pure” and of “higher ritual value.”

Without disclosing statistical figures of how many cases of human sacrifice had been recorded in the district, Ms Ajwang confirms that “Kayunga is a hotbed of ritual sacrifice”.

She said out of more than 300 traditional healers operating in the district, their preliminary investigations reveal that half of the number are quacks.

“Kayunga is a unique area, you will find many households having shrines on top of being multi-ethnic. This could be a major contributor to these acts,” Kayunga chairperson Andrew Muwonge said.

Ms Ajwang said despite enacting laws to crack down on those engaging in human sacrifices, the practice has continued.

The law
Last year, President Museveni passed the Prevention and Prohibition of Human Sacrifice Bill 2021, which criminalises the act of human sacrifice.

The legislation was moved as a private member’s Bill by former Ayivu County legislator Bernard Atiku with the intent of addressing the growing vice of human sacrifice.

According to the new law, any person who mutilates or causes the death of another person for the purpose of performing or furthering a ritual commits an offence and will be punished by the death penalty upon conviction.

“Worse still, it is a big challenge investigating human sacrifice cases because on some occasions it is carried out by parents themselves on their children while in some other cases people are not willing to give information that could be of help to arrest and prosecute offenders,” Ms Ajwanga said, adding: “We appeal to religious leaders to help us instill morals in our people. As police, we have tried to sensitise them against this vice.’’

Ms Sylvia Namutebi, aka Maama Fiina, the national chairperson of Uganda Traditional Healer’s Association, dismisses claims that the acts are committed by people who practice her trade.

“No genuine traditional healer can sacrifice a human being. These are masqueraders hiding in our job. It is our duty to ensure we [genuine healers] weed out such bad people,” Ms Namutebi said.

She said with the help of genuine healers, they have arrested and prosecuted such ‘wrong elements’, noting that she is on a country-wide tour to sensitise traditional healers on professional ethics.

Mr Peter Mawerere, the Kayunga deputy Resident District Commissioner, blamed the vice on ignorance, greed, and poverty. He noted that many people sacrifice human beings because they think it will make them wealthier.

“It is surprising that many people go to traditional healers when they fall sick, even when their ailments can be treated by qualified medical personnel,” he said.

“We have tasked the leadership of traditional healers to fight the acts, which we highly believe are perpetuated by some of their members,” he added.

Rev Fr Maurice Kigoye, the parish priest of Kangulumira Parish in Kangulumira Sub-county, said: “It [human sacrifice] is really an inhuman act. How can you think that when you kill a person and drink their blood, you can get rich? As religious leaders, we have tried to lure them [culprits] to turn to God and get saved,” Fr Kigoye said.

NGO role
Mr Peter Sewakiryanga, the executive director of Kyampisi Child Care Ministries (KCM), said his organisation receives a number of human sacrifice cases from Kayunga District every month.

“We work with probation officers, police, and other agencies who bring to our attention such cases,” he said.

Mr Sewakiryanga added that in a bid to ensure the culprits are arrested and prosecuted, his organisation facilitates investigations carried out by police officers.

“Many such cases die at the investigation stage, but with our support, a number of the suspects have been prosecuted and convicted like the recent one of Ssembatya. Court sentenced the convicts to 40 years each in jail,” he said.

He explains that KCM also offers treatment, counselling, and psychosocial support to survivors of ritual sacrifice.

“We have in some cases relocated families of the victims for their safety, built them houses and offered education to survivors,” Mr Sewakiryanga said.

2013 report

According to the 2013 Child Sacrifice and Mutilations Report, one child is killed for rituals every week.

The report indicates that people carry out human sacrifices to seek wealth, among others.

Source: Why human sacrifices still thrive in Kayunga

Over 16 ritual murders occur in Ghana each year, a recent study shows

Posted on August 25, 2022 by Dr. F.P.M. van der Kraaij

Highly recommended reading!

The article below pays attention to the first study of its kind (at least, as far as I know) that gives us reliable and in-depth information on the scale of ritual murders in a West African country as well as details pertaining to the ‘how and why’ of ritual killings in this country, Ghana. The author, Emmanuel Sarpong Owusu, is a law and criminology researcher at Aberystwyth University and a lecturer at Arden University (all in the United Kingdom). He recognizes that the reported ritual murder cases which were analyzed, and which were all reported in three local Ghanaian media outlets in the 2013-2020 period, may be only the tip of the iceberg due to a number of factors which he explains in the study.

The author studied and analyzed 96 ritual murder cases (reported in the 2013-2020 period) involving approximately 116 victims including 62 children. This means an average of 16 ritual murders including 9 child victims each year – in Ghana only, a country with a population of about 30 million. Significantly, the study shows that ritual murders form approximately 1.6% of all the murders chronicled in the country annually.

The study is entitled ‘The Superstition that Dismembers the African Child: An Exploration of the Scale and Features of Juju-Driven Paedicide in Ghana’. The 42-page study, in volume 60 issue 1 of the ‘International Annals of Criminology’ by Cambridge University Press, has been published in open access for which the publishers are to be commended. It is available in both HTML and PDF formats at: https://doi.org/10.1017/cri.2022.2 or click here.
(webmaster FVDK)

Over 16 ritual murders occur in Ghana each year, a recent study shows

Published: August 23, 2022
By: Vincent Tutu Bawuah – Modern Ghana

Juju-driven homicide or ritual murder has been the subject of many media reports in contemporary Ghana. However, very little is known about the prevalence/magnitude and features of this crime in the country, as national data sets on the ritual murder phenomenon are presently non-existent.

To help address the problem relating to the paucity of information on ritual murder, Emmanuel Sarpong Owusu (also known as Black Power), a law and criminology researcher at Aberystwyth University and a lecturer at Arden University (all in the United Kingdom), has conducted a dynamic study on juju and ritual paedicides/pedicides (i.e. killing children for ritual or occult purposes) in Ghana, the first of its kind in a West African setting.

The study sought to establish the scale and identify the primary features, motivations, and socio-cultural, religious and economic contexts of ‘ritual paedicide’ (a phrase coined by the researcher himself) in contemporary Ghana. It also examines the criminal justice system’s responses to such murders.

To realize the defined aim, an in-depth analysis of ritual homicide cases/reports publicized in three local Ghanaian media outlets (the Daily Graphic, Ghanaian Times, and Daily Guide) between September 2013 and August 2020 was carried out. Semi-structured interviews involving 20 participants were then conducted to gain additional insights into key aspects of the results of the media content analysis.

The following are some of the key findings of the study:

A total of 96 reports/articles on ritual murder were extracted from the websites of the three media outlets perused, and this involved approximately 116 victims. Out of the 116 victims, 62 were children. This means that at least 16.5 ritual murders involving approximately 9 child victims occur in Ghana each year. The study also indicates that ritual paedicide forms approximately 1.6% of all the murders chronicled in the country annually. The researcher however admits that the number of ritual paedicide cases identified in the selected media outlets may be only the tip of the iceberg due to a number of limitations highlighted in the study.

Most ritual paedicide victims (over 79%) are children of low socio-economic backgrounds in rural and semi-rural communities. There is no significant difference in the number of boys and girls murdered. Blood, the head, the limbs, and the private parts are the most sought-after body parts. Several reasons have been suggested for this trend. Ritual paedicide cases were more prevalent in the western part of Ghana than in other areas of the country. A reason for this development has been suggested in the study.

Poor parental supervision is a significant risk factor for ritual paedicide. Over 70% of the victims were kidnapped while playing outside their homes unsupervised, going to school or fetching water from a stream unaccompanied, or running errands for their parents or other family members. Though letting children under 10 years roam about unsupervised appears to be a normal practice in most African communities, the study cautions against it.

Most ritual murders involve multiple perpetrators, and a number of factors have been offered to explain this trend. Most perpetrators and prime suspects are males, aged between 20 and 39 years, mostly unemployed or financially handicapped. However, the study does not rule out the involvement of rich and educated people who are highly likely to hire others (ideally, poor or unemployed youth) to commit the barbaric crime rather than doing it themselves.

Unlike other forms of homicide, perpetrators of ritual paedicide are strangers nearly as often as being family members and acquaintances. Fathers, stepfathers, and uncles are the dominant culprits in cases where victims and perpetrators are related.

The most dominant motivation for ritual murder in Ghana is pecuniary gain. Among the key factors that account for the prevalence and persistence of ritual murders in the country are widespread unemployment and concomitant economic privations, obsession with juju, the increasing popularity of ‘cyber-criminality’ and the so-called Sakawa Boys, exposure of Ghanaian youth to African movies that portray juju and juju rituals as an efficient wealth-guaranteeing religious practice, illiteracy, and the emergence of a new ‘consumerist ethos’ that has engrossed the Ghanaian society and which is marked by the unrestrained quest for material success and the flamboyant display of luxury.

The majority of perpetrators are not apprehended or even identified by law enforcement agencies. There is evidence of police laxity in investigating and prosecuting cases of ritual pedicide in Ghana.

The study, entitled ‘The Superstition that Dismembers the African Child: An Exploration of the Scale and Features of Juju-Driven Paedicide in Ghana’, makes a significant contribution to the body of knowledge. It is highly significant as it breaks new ground and provides a foundation for further informed engagement with the ritual paedicide phenomenon in Africa.

The full study (a 42-page article) has been published (open access) in volume 60 issue 1 of the ‘International Annals of Criminology’ by Cambridge University Press. It could be accessed in both HTML and PDF formats at: https://doi.org/10.1017/cri.2022.2

Source: Over 16 ritual murders occur in Ghana each year, a recent study shows

Uganda sees spike in human sacrifices

Posted on July 11, 2022 by Dr. F.P.M. van der Kraaij

Below follows a shocking account from Uganda. It is not the first time on this site that human sacrifices, ritual murders and ritualistic activities are being reported from this East African country.

The reported steep increase in the number of (reported and/or discovered!) human sacrifices is indeed extremely worrisome, the more so that we may assume that the discovered or reported cases of ritual killing are only the tip of an iceberg.

It’s a horrifying reality that mainly children are victim of these crimes which are above all based on superstition and (partly) caused by poverty. Partly caused, because according to reports not only poor people resort to human sacrifices to increase their well-being. Also (rich) businessmen do, as the 2014 case of the business tycoon Kato Kajubi demonstrates (see my posting dated May 7, 2021).

Whereas in 2019 22 ritualistic murders were recorded, this number rose to 45 in 2020, and to 65 last year (2021), resulting in the sad total figure of 132 human sacrifices which have been recorded.

Ritual killings must stop!
(webmaster FVDK)

‘A big problem’: Uganda sees spike in human sacrifice incidents

Most victims of the sacrifices are children, apparently because they are easier to abduct and seen as “pure” and so of “higher ritual value”. (AA Archive)

Published: July 3, 2022
By: TRT News

Authorities say human sacrifices take place at advice of ‘witch doctors’ in superstition-hit rural areas to bring good luck.

Human sacrifices continue unabated in the remote and rural areas of the landlocked East African country of Uganda despite authorities enacting tough laws and threatening death sentences.

According to officials, 132 incidents of human sacrifices have been recorded in the last three years. The numbers have spiked from 22 sacrifices in 2019, 45 in 2020 and 65 in 2021.

Most victims of such “ritual sacrifices” are children, apparently because they are easier to abduct and seen as “pure” and so of “higher ritual value”.

Anadolu Agency quoted authorities as saying on Sunday that the sacrifices are being carried out by witch doctors or local traditional healers, dotting rural areas.

Admitting that human sacrifice is a big problem, Lucas Oweyesigire, the police spokesman for the Kampala region, said most such practices take place in rural areas.

The so-called leader of traditional healing and witch doctors, Mama Fina, has also condemned human sacrifice and described those recommending the sacrifice of human beings as “fake”.

Taking advice from witch doctors

Police spokesman Fred Enanga said only last month they “arrested a man identified as Musilimu Mbwire on suspicion of killing his two sons in human sacrifice.”

According to preliminary investigations, a rich man had paid Mbwire money and convinced him to sacrifice his two sons at the instructions of a witch doctor.

Superstitions lead people in rural areas to seek help from witch doctors, who in turn offer weird prescriptions, including human sacrifices to turn around their luck.

A more worrisome part of the superstition is to undertake human sacrifice to put the body at the foundation of a building to bring good luck.

Timothy Mukasa, a local leader in Kampala’s suburb of Kireka, said many multi-storey buildings in the town have been built on a human body.

“The witch doctors tell owners to put a human body at the foundation of the construction of the buildings,” he said.

In 2014, authorities apprehended and later sentenced a tycoon Kato Kajubi for sacrificing a child and then putting his body in the foundation of a building that he was about to construct.

David Musenze, a journalist who studied psychology, said there are not many qualified counsellors to attend to psychological and mental issues of people, which makes them take advice from witch doctors.

“People go to witch doctors to help them get jobs, be promoted at jobs, or kill their enemies, along with many other problems,” he said.

Source: ‘A big problem’: Uganda sees spike in human sacrifice incidents

Deacon dies while preaching against ritual killings in Ogun State, Nigeria (video)

Posted on April 7, 2022 by Dr. F.P.M. van der Kraaij

Ritualistic murders are no exception in Ogun State, Nigeria. That’s a mild way of saying that ritual murders are rife in this southwestern part of Africa’s most populated country. I have repeatedly drawn attention on reported cases of ‘money rituals’ which demand a human sacrifice, see my postings of murder cases in 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 and the current year 2022.

I have no doubt that many more ritual murders have been committed in Ogun State but, first of all, not all murders are being reported and investigated and, secondly, not all ritual killings are detected.

Recently, there have been increasing protests against these cruel crimes. On Sunday April 3, a preacher at the Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA), Onikoko, Abeokuta, Chief Francis Oluwole Ogunnusi raised his voice against ritual killings, lashing out at ‘money rituals’. Suddenly he slumped and he died on the spot causing consternation and confusion in the church.

It is not known whether deacon Francis Ogunnusi was suffering from any health related problem.

I haven’t run across a newspaper article mentioning the following suspicion, but I won’t be surprised if quite a large number of churchgoers and other ordinary people reacted on the news of the deacon’s sudden demise – albeit silently – with awe and conviction that a terrifying and powerful person who possessed an extra-ordinary strong ‘juju’ was responsible for the death of Chief Francis Oluwole Ogunnusi (webmaster FVDK).

Deacon dies while preaching against ritual killings in Ogun State

Published: April 5, 2022
By: Adekunle Dada – Within Nigeria

A deacon at the Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA), Onikoko, Abeokuta, Ogun State, Francis Ogunnusi, reportedly slumped and died while against the ‘get-rich-quick’ syndrome during a Sunday service.

The church was thrown into confusion when the Deacon, also said to be the Baale of Onikoko, a community, near the Panseke area suddenly slumped with a microphone in his hand.

According to Daily Trust, a viral video showed the Deacon alongside an interpreter, warning against the rising cases of money-making rituals.

Delivering his sermon in Yoruba, Ogunnusi said “The money you make through unlawful means, killing people, sucking human blood; when death comes, it will belong to another person.”

However, when the interpreter was still trying to present the words in the English language, the man slumped and threw the church into commotion.

He was reportedly rushed to the Federal Medical Centre, Idi-Aba, Abeokuta, where he was pronounced dead.

The aforementioned publication reported that a congregant said, “The man was not the pastor of that church, he was just an elder. He was the Baale of Onikoko. But he was the one that delivered the sermon on Sunday.

“He was talking about death and people who make money by killing other people. All of a sudden, he collapsed. He was rushed to the FMC, but he died. We don’t know what happened. I was very scared. Everything was disrupted. We just shared the grace and went home.”

The source could not confirm whether the deceased was battling any health challenges.

Source: Deacon dies while preaching against ritual killings in Ogun State, Nigeria

Deacon dies on pulpit while preaching against ritual killings + Video

Screenshot – To access the video, please click here

Published: April 5, 2022
By: The Eagle Online, Nigeria

A Deacon of the Evangelical Church Winning All, Onikoko, Abeokuta, Ogun State, Francis Ogunnusi, has been confirmed dead after slumping while preaching during a service.

The incident occurred during the Sunday service on April 3 as the Deacon preached against “get-rich-quick” syndrome.

The church was thrown into confusion after the Deacon, who is also the Baale of Onikoko, a community near Panseke area in Abeokuta metropolis, suddenly slumped with a microphone in his hand.

Delivering his sermon in Yoruba, Ogunnusi said: “The money you make through unlawful means, killing people, sucking human blood, when death comes, it will belong to another person.”

The interpreter was still trying to present the words in the English language when the Deacon slumped.

According to Daily Trust, the Deacon was rushed to the Federal Medical Centre, Idi-Aba, Abeokuta, where he was pronounced dead.

A congregant told the publication: “The man was not the pastor of that church, he was just an elder.

“He was the Baale of Onikoko.

“But he was the one that delivered the sermon on Sunday.

“He was talking about death and people who make money by killing other people.

“All of a sudden, he collapsed.

“He was rushed to the FMC, but he died.

“We don’t know what happened.

“I was very scared.

“Everything was disrupted.

“We just shared the grace and went home.”

It was however not clear if he had any health challenges.

The corpse of Chief Ogunnusi has been deposited in the mortuary.

Source: Deacon dies on pulpit while preaching against ritual killings + Video

Confusion as deacon dies while preaching against ritual killings in Ogun

Published: April 5, 2022
By: Peter Moses – Daily Trust, Nigeria

There was a commotion at the Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA), Onikoko, Abeokuta, Ogun State, when a Deacon, Francis Ogunnusi, reportedly slumped and died…

Our correspondent gathered that the incident occurred on Sunday when Ogunnusi was preaching against the ‘get-rich-quick’ syndrome.

There have been worrying cases of ritual killings in Ogun State and other parts of the country. No less than three cases of killings for money rituals were recorded in different parts of the state last month.

A viral video sighted by our correspondent showed the deacon alongside an interpreter, warning against the rising cases of money rituals.

Ogunnusi was also said to be the Baale of Onikoko, a community near the Panseke area in Abeokuta metropolis.

The church was thrown into confusion when the deacon suddenly slumped with a microphone in his hand.

Delivering his sermon in Yoruba, Ogunnusi said, “The money you make through unlawful means, killing people, sucking human blood; when death comes, it will belong to another person.”

However, when the interpreter was still trying to present the words in the English language, the man slumped and threw the church into a commotion.

He was reportedly rushed to the Federal Medical Centre, Idi-Aba, Abeokuta, where he was pronounced dead.

A congregant said, “The man was not the pastor of that church, he was just an elder. He was the Baale of Onikoko. But he was the one that delivered the sermon on Sunday.

The source could not confirm whether the deceased was battling any health challenges.

It was gathered that the lifeless body of Ogunnusi had been deposited in the mortuary.

Source: Confusion as deacon dies while preaching against ritual killings in Ogun

Ogun: ECWA ‘Pastor’ slumps, dies on pulpit while preaching against ‘Money Rituals’

Published: April 6, 2022
By: Olufemi Adediran, Abeokuta – New Telegraph, Nigeria

A Deacon at the Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA), Onikoko area of Abeokuta, Ogun State, has slumped and died while preaching in the church on Sunday.

The Deacon, identified as Chief Francis Oluwole Ogunnusi, was the Baale of Onikoko community, near Panseke area of Abeokuta.

It was gathered that, Ogunnusi was in the pulpit on Sunday preaching against the ‘get-rich-quick’ syndrome that has become rampant, especially among Nigerian youths when he suddenly slumped.

In a video sighted by our correspondent, the Deacon warned those killing people and drinking human blood to get rich, saying when they die, the money would be taken by another person. In the video that had since gone viral on Social Media, the community leader who was preaching in Yoruba said,

“The money you make through unlawful means, killing people, sucking human blood; when death comes, it will belong to another person.” However, when the interpreter was still trying to present the words in English language, the man suddenly fell heavily with the microphone in his hand.

This led to commotion in the church hall as people ran to carry him to the hospital. A member of the church, who did not want to be mentioned, said the man was rushed to the Federal Medical Centre, Idi-Aba, Abeokuta, where he was pronounced dead.

“The man was not the pastor of that church, he was just an elder. He was the Baale of Onikoko. But he was the one that delivered the sermon on Sunday. “He was talking about death and people who make money by killing other people. All of a sudden, he collapsed. He was rushed to the FMC, but he died. We don’t know what happened. I was very scared.

Everything was disrupted. We just shared the grace and went home,” the worshipper said. The source said he would not know whether or not the man had any health challenge before his sudden death on Sunday, adding that the deceased preacher may be between age 60 and 70 years.

It was gathered that the church at Onikoko is the headquarters of ECWA in the state. The lifeless body of Chief Ogunnusi has been deposited in the mortuary, it was gathered.

Source: Ogun: ECWA ‘Pastor’ Slumps, Dies On Pulpit While Preaching Against Money Ritual

Ogun Church Scatters As Preacher Dies During Sermon Against Ritualists

Published: April 6, 2022
By: Daud Olatunji – Punch, Nigeria

A deacon at the Evangelical Church Winning All, Onikoko, Abeokuta, Ogun State, Francis Ogunnusi, has died while preaching in the church on Sunday.

The late deacon was the Baale of Onikoko community, near the Panseke area of Abeokuta.

Our correspondent gathered that Ogunnusi was on the pulpit on Sunday preaching against the get-rich-quick syndrome that had become the order of the day in different parts of the country.

Our correspondent saw a video where the deceased was heard warning those killing others to get rich, saying when they died, the money would be taken by other people.

Ogunnusi, while preaching in Yoruba, said, “The money you make through unlawful means, killing people, sucking human blood, when death comes, it will belong to another person.”

However, as his interpreter was about presenting the words in English language, Ogunnusi fell with the microphone in his hand.

This led to commotion in the church hall, as people rushed him to a hospital.

A member of the church, who did not want to be identified, said the victim was rushed to the Federal Medical Centre, Idi Aba, Abeokuta, where he was pronounced dead.

The source said, “The man was not the pastor of that church; he was just an elder. He was the Baale of Onikoko. He was the one that delivered the sermon on Sunday.

“He was talking about death and people who made money by killing other people. All of a sudden, he collapsed. He was rushed to the FMC, where he died. We don’t know what happened. I was very scared. Everything was disrupted. We just said the grace and went home.”

The source could not tell if Ogunnusi had any health challenge before the incident, adding that the deceased was between 60 and 70 years old.

It was gathered that the church at Onikoko is the headquarters of ECWA in Ogun State.

The corpse was said to have been deposited in a mortuary.

Source: Ogun Church Scatters As Preacher Dies During Sermon Against Ritualists

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