/ 20 March 2007

Tornado ‘prophet’ case postponed in court

Two men have appeared in the Rustenburg Magistrate’s Court for allegedly burning down the home of a prophet in Ramochana near Rustenburg.

Ben Bees and David Moleleki were remanded in custody on Monday and had their case postponed until May 11 for further investigations.

Dikeledi Njusa’s house was burnt down last Friday after irate community members disputed her prophesy that a massive tornado would hit Rustenburg and its surrounding areas unless everyone paid a R2 coin to ”the water snake”.

She claimed the water snake had come to her in a vision.

On Thursday night, the local radio station held a talk show about her prophesy. Church ministers and traditional healers were invited to the talk show and all dismissed her prophesy as false.

Police said about 800 people gathered at her home, demanding their R2 back, and her house was torched.

Bees and Moleleki were charged with public violence, assault, arson, malicious damage to property and theft. They were not asked to plead.

Since Friday, Njusa has been under police protection at the Rustenburg police station as community members are baying for her blood. — Sapa