The woman was accused of witchcraft, assaulted with a plank, and subsequently drowned. Her body was found naked next to the stream.
Alleged witchcraft mob justice has claimed the life of a 75-year-old woman in the Eastern Cape.
Police in Ngcobo are investigating a case of murder following the brutal murder of the elderly woman at Zadungeni A/A, Luthuthu Locality in Ngcobo on the morning of 17 May 2026.
Witchcraft
It is alleged that the woman, identified as Nokhansala Sidiki, was taken from her home by certain family members to a nearby stream.
“There, she was accused of witchcraft, assaulted with a plank, and subsequently drowned. Her body was found naked next to the stream with bruises to the head and face, as well as strangulation marks on the neck,” said police spokesperson Brigadier Nobuntu Gantana.
‘Savage act’
Gantana said the suspects fled the scene and remain unknown. No arrests have been made yet.
“The case docket is under investigation by the SAPS Detective Unit. Witness statements are being obtained, and forensic evidence has been collected from the scene.”
Lieutenant General Vuyisile Ncata, Provincial Commissioner of the Eastern Cape, condemned this “savage act.”
“This is a savage and deeply disturbing attack on a vulnerable elderly woman. Accusing someone of witchcraft and taking the law into your own hands is not only illegal but inhuman. We will leave no stone unturned until those responsible are arrested and face the full might of the law.
“I also call on community leaders to help us uproot this dangerous mob justice mentality. If you know something, speak out; silence makes you complicit,” remarked Ncata.
Police have urged anyone with information to contact Crime Stop on 08600 10111 or report anonymously via the MySAPS app. All information will be treated confidentially.
Murder
Last week, a 47-year-old man was sentenced to 28 years in jail after murdering his mother.
Samuel Ndesi appeared in the Mthatha High Court, where the sentence was handed down. He murdered his biological mother in Dalisile on 25 July 2025.
The court convicted and sentenced Ndesi to eight years imprisonment for imputing witchcraft (Contravention of the Witchcraft Suppression Act 3 of 1957) and 20 years of direct imprisonment for murder, amounting to a cumulative 28 years imprisonment.
According to the Witchcraft Suppression Act 3 of 1957, it is illegal to accuse someone of being a witch and the reason for your misfortune, hire a witch-finder, seek out a witch doctor to hurt someone, or claim to know witchcraft to cause harm. Sentences can include a heavy fine or up to 20 years in prison.
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Faizel Patel
www.citizen.co.za