Witch Doctor Blamed for Hundreds of Cases of Cannibalism in S. African Town

It all started when a man walked into an Estcourt police station and confessed that he was “tired of eating human flesh.” The 31-year-old proved that he wasn’t making things up by handing over pieces of a human hand and leg directly to the police…

Four men from the KwaZulu-Natal region of South Africa were arrested in connection to the cannibalism-related charges, including a “traditional healer” who had been spreading his dark practices to believers for a long time. At least 300 locals asserted that the depraved witch doctor had convinced them to intentionally consume human flesh as a part of his shaman medicine. Some of these villagers admitted to raiding graves for body parts to deliver to the same witch doctor, with the hopes that the act would, in turn, bless them with wealth, strength, and protection.

Colonel Thembeka Mbhele, a police spokeswoman, shared the prevailing theory regarding the grim origin of the body parts:

The three suspects are alleged to have murdered a woman and then cut her body up. Allegations are that some consumed some of her flesh while some of her body parts were shared with the fourth suspect in Amangwe. Human remains were found at one crime scene in Estcourt and another crime scene at Amangwe. At this time only one person is suspected of having been killed and her identity is as yet unknown.

These men were arrested and will be charged with murder and conspiracy for raping, killing, mutilating, and eating the unidentified woman.

South African police are further investigating the nyanga, a native term for witch doctor, for potential ties to a larger criminal organization, and are urging people with missing family members to step forward just in case the remains discovered belong to multiple victims. Police believe that there are more suspects involved, and are expected to make additional arrests related to this case. With 300 people who admitted they knew the admitted cannibal nyanga that also claim to have become devourers of human flesh due to his influence, I sure hope that there will be a few more arrests!