Mzilikazi wa Afrika
A Northern Province tuberculosis patient who disappeared from his hospital bed was found dead near the doctors’ quarters on Sunday morning, with his scrotum removed and his penis skinned.
Police suspect that someone working at the Mokopane hospital, near Potgietersrus, lured Malesela Joseph Tshege (52) out of the TB ward in the early hours of Sunday morning to remove his genitals for muti purposes.
Investigators are looking for a senior nurse and a doctor at the hospital who were meant to be on duty on Saturday night, but who instead took leave and were still unavailable for questioning by Wednesday afternoon.
“We went to the hospital on several occasions, but could not trace the two people. We aren’t saying they are suspects, but we believe they can help us in our investigation,” said Inspector Elias Sekanka.
The only nurse on duty on Saturday night, Johanna Molokomme, told police she last saw Tshege at 2am on Sunday. When she checked the ward an hour later, he was missing. Six hours later, a doctor found Tshege’s muti- lated body in his garden.
Sekanka said a construction worker at the hospital, who tried to commit suicide on Monday but fled before police arrived, was also wanted for questioning. “We strongly believe he knows something about Tshege’s death,” said Sekanka.
Police representative Superintendent Sam Maponya said there were strong suspicions that the killers came from within the hospital, as security was tight at night. But it was puzzling that no one had heard Tshege cry for help.
“This is the most bizarre muti murder we’ve ever come across. We’ve had several other muti murder cases in our province, but I must admit this one is an enigma,” Maponya said.
Provincial MECfor Health and Welfare MEC Dr Hunadi Mateme and the hospital’s management refused to comment on the case. – African Eye News Service