Shoes for school P. 4
R1-20/FREE
2016
5 February
Community out for blood over allegations of
WITCHCRAFT
Unattended taps like this one cause water waste. Photo: Mzamane Ringane
Great amounts of water wasted due to leakages Mzamane Ringane
Accusations of witchcraft have torn the community of Spa Park apart. Photo per illustration Justin Steyn Anger and outrage has broken out in Spa Park, Bela-Bela amidst a rash of suicides in the area. The community has accused a local woman of witchcraft, and claim that she is responsible for the suicides. During a meeting on Tuesday, 26 January, residents of the Spa Park area raised the issue with their Ward Councillor, Kobus van der Merwe, and members of the Bela-Bela police services at the Spa Park community hall. Van der Merwe told The BEAT that the meeting was originally intended to address issues such as drug abuse and the recent increase in violent crimes. Instead residents appeared en masse to lodge complaints against an alleged witch who lives in the area and is accused of “cursing local children to commit suicide”. Van der Merwe said the seriousness of
the matter only became clear after it was reported that a young girl fell ill and said that she was instructed by “the witch” to kill her mother. The girl allegedly made mention of a list of children whom she wanted to kill. This was apparently recorded on an audio device at the time.
“ The girl allegedly made mention of a list of children whom she wanted to kill.” An attack on the woman was apparently also planned, and emotions are running high among residents. Van der Merwe said that despite suggestions and attempts to resolve the matter peacefully, residents were serious about exiling the woman from the community.
“Emotions are running high in the community and many are adamant that they want to remove the woman from the community. Some have even hinted at killing her. Police have gone as far as suggesting that they intervene in the matter by using one of the occult task forces, but the community wants her gone,” he said. He added that he is of the opinion that the community is desperate for answers with the increase in suicides, and could turn to superstitious conclusions. “Suicide instances are increasing in Spa Park. I think people are desperate for answers and I’m not convinced this woman is to blame,” he said Lieutenant Colonel Abel Phetla of the Bela-Bela police station confirmed that the woman has been taken under police protection. He added that more police patrols will be conducted in the area due to the severe nature of the incident. He said that no case had been opened yet.
Modimolle, like the rest of the country, has been experiencing water shortages due to the recent drought and heatwave. However, large amounts of water is still going to waste as some communal taps are left running unattended at Modimolle. The BEAT was able to identify at least two communal taps that are always running. Additionally, when there are water stoppages in the area members of the public often leave their taps open, hoping that it will be easier to notice when water has been restored. However, in unfortunate circumstances where water supply is restored at night, the risk of water being wasted is high as taps are likely to run throughout the night without being monitored. Modimolle Local Municipality spokesperson Patrick Shika said on Monday, 1 February that the municipality always responds timeously when notified about situations where water is being wasted due to faulty communal taps. Shika also said in a situation where the fault is on the side of a consumer, accredited plumbers have to be appointed by the user to fix the leaks or any damage. He said this could help in avoiding a huge water bill, which could be caused by leaking or dripping taps. “In a case where there are water cuts in the area, people must always remember to keep their taps closed to avoid water wasting. We are pleading with members of the community to always remain cautious and to report any leaks or faulty communal taps. We have to work together as the community to ensure that we conserve our water,” said Shika. He also urged parents to teach children how to use water sparingly and always guard against leaving taps unattended to.