An elderly Durban couple is in a critical condition in hospital after being drugged and robbed on Wednesday by men claiming to be traditional healers.
Police said the man and woman were with their son at the time. The family had entered a Standard Bank branch in Amanzimtoti, south of Durban, and withdrawn a large sum of money.
”When exiting the bank, the family were confronted by a few sangomas,” a police officer said, not wanting to be named. ”The sangomas apparently told the couple they needed protection because of the huge amount of money they withdrew.”
The son was sent to buy candles and during this time the sangomas gave the couple something to drink that ”would protect them”. When the son returned, he found his mother and father lying unconscious on a grassy verge near the N2 freeway.
Amanzimtoti police confirmed the incident, while Durban South police spokesperson Superintendent Daniela Veldhuizen said police were investigating a different version of the matter.
”We believe the two people who were injured were mother and son,” she said.
The 74-year-old woman and her two sons — from Adams Mission — were planning on taking out money for an unveiling ceremony. Before the money was withdrawn, the family met two men — 30m away from the bank — who promised to sort out their cultural issues before the unveiling.
”They went and sat down and discussed it. Then one of the sons was told to go and fetch some candles and matches,” said Veldhuizen. During this time, passers-by found the man and woman lying near the freeway.
”It is unclear what had happened to them, but police who attended the scene found empty juice bottles lying next to them,” Veldhuizen said.
Netcare 911 spokesperson Chris Botha said paramedics arrived at the scene and found a woman and a man lying unconscious. He corroborated the initial version of the incident.
”Paramedics battled to save the both of them. They were taken to hospital in a critical condition.”
Botha said it was not clear what the couple had drunk.
Police said their money, believed to be about R15 000, was missing. — Sapa