Sangoma Arrested for Kidnapping in Welkom, Free State

A sangoma, a traditional healer widely respected in many South African communities, has been arrested under deeply troubling circumstances in Thabong, Welkom, in the Free State province. The unnamed healer, aged 45, stands accused of the alleged kidnapping of a little girl, merely one-year-nine-months old, this past Saturday, an incident that has rattled the close-knit community of Thabong.

The saga began to unfold on January 6, when the young girl vanished without a trace while she was visiting Boitumelo Mall in the company of 33-year-old Ntshepang Sotsaka. Following the mysterious disappearance, a distraught Sotsaka hustled to the Thabong Police Station to register a missing person’s case. The urgency of the situation prompted an immediate response, with Captain Stephen Thakeng spearheading a preliminary investigation.

The breakthrough came when video surveillance from the mall confirmed a man, later identified as the sangoma, taking the child, entering a sedan, and swiftly leaving the premises. The vehicle's sighting sparked an extensive search by law enforcement officials, who canvassed all known traditional healers' gatherings within Thabong. Ultimately, promising leads guide the authorities to Extension 15 Hani Park in Bronville, where the child was fortuitously discovered.

Captain Thakeng confirmed that the child was found in safe condition and that she was speedily reunited with her parents on Sunday, January 7, a day after the abduction. The relief felt by the parents and community, however, was tempered by consternation as the respected healer was arrested and faced kidnapping charges.

Major General Tholie Afonso, the District Commissioner of Lejweleputswa, has since issued a cautionary statement to parents, urging them to maintain vigilant supervision over their children, especially during crowded shopping expeditions and even at home. The significance of this advice cannot be understated as public places are often seen as safe havens but can harbor unseen dangers.

In a poignant display of uniform condemnation from the sangoma community, the chairman of the Lengau la Thabeng Sangomas association, James Majake, offered a scathing rebuke of the arrested individual. Majake questioned the authenticity of the suspect's status as a sangoma, suggesting instead that the man might have been masquerading as a traditional healer to cover up his criminal intentions.

Majake and the association have taken an unequivocal stance: not only do they denounce the suspect's actions, but they also plan to demonstrate at the court to oppose his potential bail. They demand accountability for the recent spree of kidnappings in Welkom and the greater Lejweleputswa region. The association is dedicated to disassociating their practices from any form of criminal activity, emphasizing that the ancestors would never condone such actions and branding the heinous act as 'satanic.'

The case has drawn significant attention, with the community and the sangomas' association calling for justice to be served. The accused will make his court appearance at the Welkom Magistrates Court on Tuesday, January 9, where his fate will begin to be decided.