Durban - KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Social Development Nonhlanhla Khoza has called for the arrest of the people involved in the murder of a 17-year-old girl accused of being possessed by demons.
Thozama Sonjica died allegedly as a result of a brutal assault while four children were freed in late May at KwaNzimakwe area in ward 11 of Ray Nkonyeni Local Municipality on the South Coast.
Khoza visited the grieving Sonjica family on Monday, calling for justice to be served. She said those who assaulted the children had clear intentions to inflict pain, not to drive demons out of their bodies.
“All involved in the assault and torturing of five children who are believed to have been ‘possessed by demons’, resulting in the death of a 17-year-old girl, must be arrested.
“It is unfortunate that people who are supposed to protect children, including the church, got involved in such abuse, leading to the death of a child. We want to see all those involved in the assaults, torturing and brutal killing of children arrested.”
Khoza said the church’s act of torture was shocking as a church is seen as a place of sanctuary for children.
“We don’t believe that there is a parent who can take her children to a slaughterhouse. These children were tortured, beaten up while being tied up. The incident has caused us a lot of pain and we are concerned about the role played by parents. It is abnormal that one parent went to school to report that the deceased was taken to church to be prayed for,” she added.
The parents of victims had to undergo psychiatric evaluations to determine their competency to take care of children as they knew about the “exorcism” beforehand.
She said the four surviving children were moved to a place of safety under the supervision of social workers and it was reported that they are attending school even after the trauma.
It was reported that five children were held hostage from May 25-29 and allegedly beaten by a pastor, together with other congregants, claiming to exorcise them of demons. They allegedly beat the children because they felt they were controlled by demons.
It is alleged that the children were lured under the pretence that there was a birthday celebration, which was how they were able to get them all in one room.
That is when the children were assaulted, beaten and had water and salt poured over their bodies and noses.
It was alleged that the people involved in the assault and torturing of children attempted to conceal the death and tampered with the crime scene by moving the surviving children to other rooms. The children were eventually released to their parents.
KZN police spokesperson Brigadier Jay Naicker said they received a report of a 16-year-old girl who was treated for injuries at a local clinic and was then taken to hospital for medical attention. That was when they established that there were three other girls – aged between 15 and 18 – and they were also rescued from the house.
“The post-mortem results indicated that the first victim died due to injuries that she sustained following a severe assault,” Naicker said.
Charges of murder, attempted murder and assault with intent to inflict grievous bodily harm were opened and a 40-year-old man was immediately arrested and charged.
The community’s Traditional Council leader, Inkosi Bhekizizwe Nzimakwe, said the pain he was feeling was indescribable, seeing that no one reported the incident to him.
He said he was in pain that the community was in crisis as a result of people who are supposed to protect and give hope to those in trouble.
“We are so much in pain that the church is the one that led to the death of this child. We are disappointed that Christians played a role in the killing of this child. In our traditional council we have many cases of church leaders who fight among themselves.
“We are dealing with such cases because they want to compete instead of helping the poor community,” he said.
Daily News