Muti Nation (36 page)
The younger detective, the one he’d seen accompanying Esmé at the Crocodile River, tended to her. His hands were pressed against her side, but she didn’t respond. Even the blonde was more concerned with Esmé’s well-being than getting loose.
“Stay with me,” the young detective said repeatedly, nervously.
Before
Him
could find out if Esmé was alive or dead, Mosepi—now finished reciting his rights to him—punched him repeatedly in the face with his immense fist, until he blacked out.
Chapter 42
ALLEGED PRETORIA SLASHER IN POLICE CUSTODY
Sapa | 30 September, 2015 18:47
Police have arrested the alleged Pretoria Slasher who is accused of the kidnapping and murder of Valentine Sikelo, Carol-Anne Brewis, and ANC MP Abraham Amin, Pretoria police said on Wednesday.
The Pretoria Slasher’s identity is being withheld from the public. However, other information was released by the SAPS.
“The elusive Pretoria Slasher, who evaded police capture has finally been arrested,” said Detective Elias Mosepi.
“[The Pretoria Slasher] was arrested this afternoon on a small, abandoned plot in Erasmia, at about 15:03pm. He has been on the run since the beginning of September. The suspect will appear before the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court soon.”
The Pretoria Slasher, 35, had been on the run since the assault and murder of Valentine Sikelo on the 4
th
of September 2015, in Pretoria West.
A relative who has allegedly participated in previous cases related to the Pretoria Slasher was arrested in Pretoria West, earlier on Wednesday.
More details to follow as information is released.
—TimesLive
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SLIPPERY PRETORIA SLASHER BEHIND BARS
2015-09-30 18:53
Police have arrested the Pretoria Slasher who is accused of the kidnappings and murders of Valentine Sikelo, Carol-Anne Brewis, and Abraham Amin.
“He [the Pretoria Slasher] was arrested in Erasmia, more details will follow later,” said Detective Rynhardt Louw.
The suspect (35) had been on the run since the assault and murder of Valentine Sikelo on the 4
th
of September, 2015.
Meanwhile, a man believed to be a relative of the suspect was also arrested in Pretoria West, earlier this morning.
“The suspect is expected to appear before the Magistrates Court on Friday pending further police investigations,” said Louw.
He added that the police recovered further evidence of more victims at the homestead.
“A team of independent investigators, with the assistance of the police, is combing the area for further clues of who these victims are and where they may be located,” said Louw. “Police investigations are at an advanced and sensitive stage, and more arrests are imminent.”
—News24
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FAMILIES RELIEVED BY PRETORIA SLASHER ARREST
Wed, 30 Sept 2015 20:00 PM 0 Comments
Article By: Almarie Badenhorst
“The capture of the so-called “Pretoria Slasher” is a big relief for the victims’ families,” Pretoria police commissioner, Ludwa Mamba said on Wednesday.
Earlier, authorities captured the suspect after evading police for almost a month.
The Pretoria Slasher is accused of kidnapping, torturing, and murdering Valentine Sikelo, Carol-Anne Brewis, and ANC MP Abraham Amin.
Further investigations of the agricultural holding he was found living at yielded more possible victims.
Police said they will question the suspect and formulate charges against him.
He and another man, a family relation according to insider sources, will appear in court on Friday.
The Pretoria Slasher could also face charges of murder, rape and evading arrest.
Two hostages: a civilian and an occult expert who had been consulting on the case for the SAPS, were found at what is now called “The Carnage Farm.” Both hostages sustained minor injuries and were taken to a hospital for treatment.
The Pretoria Slasher did not resist arrest when police found him.
Officials are now looking to piece together a puzzle of muti and murder.
—EWN
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PRETORIANS CHEER AS SLASHER IS ARRESTED
31 September, 2015 | 10:32 a.m. 21 Comments
By Andrea Miller
Yesterday was a good day for Pretoria residents.
First, news came in that the Pretoria Slasher has been taken into custody, saving one hostage from a fate worse than death, and an investigator from bleeding out. Then, scattered thundershowers across the city finally broke the insufferable heat. It’s as if God Himself was celebrating the police’s victory.
Sources within the Pretoria West Police Department claim the Pretoria Slasher was cooperating with authorities for the most part, but so far he’s still being elusive about his true identity. But, there’s a twist! The Pretoria Slasher’s half-brother is
also
in custody. Police allegedly picked him up for speeding yesterday morning, and linked him to a buffet of crimes.
This leaves the question: Is this a matter of nature vs. nurture, or something entirely different?
For those readers who don’t know, the Pretoria Slasher has been a busy guy as far as kidnapping and murders are concerned:
His first known victim—Valentine Sikelo (28)—was found brutally mutilated and murdered in a field in Pretoria West on 4 September, 2015. The young mother, wife, daughter, and sister, had been walking to the taxi rank on the same day she’d died, before the Pretoria Slasher whisked her away and tortured her for muti.
The second victim—Carol-Anne Brewis (12)—was found on Gert van Rooyen’s property; her body broken, and her brain missing. She was taken out of her bedroom, in the middle of the night, and killed in his van. Why? According to our inside source, the Pretoria Slasher just said: “She was the perfect sacrifice.”
Abraham Amin (39)—a politician for the ANC party—was the third victim. His body was found gutted, hanging from the Daspoort Tunnel’s ventilation shaft. This rising star in the political party was a beloved figure in his community, as well as in the party. Unfortunately, his great future was ended when he was kidnapped from an ambassadorial mansion in Moreleta Park, held captive, and killed when he was trying to escape.
These are
just
the victims we know about. Numbers have been thrown around by investigators as to how many people the Pretoria Slasher has killed in his lifetime, ranging from between 8 to 39.
“It’s difficult to be sure, because [he] also seemed to buy a lot of body parts and organs on the black market,” our source divulged. “So far, we have enough evidence to link him to, at least, 15 murders, but the investigation is far from over and the number is likely to change.”
International readers might be thinking I’m making this stuff up, but the truth is, ritual murder is alive and well in South Africa. Muti—made and distributed by traditional healers—are basically homeopathic remedies. Usually, “muti” are tinctures and tonics made from indigenous plants, but there
are
people who take things too far… This is where witch doctors, witches, and the like come into play.
Now, so far there is no word as to whether the Pretoria Slasher is, in fact, a registered traditional healer, but the Traditional Healers Association of Africa has already distanced themselves from the killer.
As for the Pretoria Slasher’s half-brother, well that’s a whole other story. Apparently, he’s been raping, mutilating, torturing, killing, and heaven knows what else, for almost as long as brother dearest.
“They’ll both be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” the source said. “And their stays at casa C-Max will be extended.”
C-Max, the maximum security prison in Pretoria, however, may not be equipped to handle either prisoner. According to other gossip around town, they both seem to suffer from some sort of mental disorder. This is purely speculation, but is it truly so farfetched to say they suffer from schizophrenia? I don’t particularly think so.
Then again, no insanity plea has ever been won in South African law history… Maybe they won’t try the trick for their respective defences? Who knows?
I’ll keep you updated on what’s what as more information is released, so subscribe to my blog and stay in the know!
Yours truly,
Andrea Miller
*EDIT* I’ll be doing a vlog series on muti crimes in the near future. If you want to know more, follow me on my YouTube channel. Handle: TrueCrimeSA.
—TrueCrimeSA.co.za
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Chapter 43
New Orleans, Louisiana
1 December, 2015
The trumpet swells as the tune reaches its crescendo. The piano plays in harmony, fading out slowly for the trumpet to take over. The cellist plucks at the strings of his instrument, while the singer sings a haunting song to an upbeat melody.
I sip my cocktail—Sazerac the waitress called it—tentatively, relaxing in the front row of the jazz club, watching the show. Here in this city of carnivals and culture I can forget about the jagged red scar on my abdomen. I can forget about Kenneth Mtetwa (otherwise known as
Him
) and Simphiwe Mtetwa (also known as Human-Tooth-Necklace-Guy), and the terrible deeds they’ve done.
I can forget about everything bothering me, if only for a little while.
It’s why I came here in the first place; to enjoy a different culture, to see the sights, to heal safely in another country, and to forget how foolish I can be at times. My actions had almost cost Leila her life, as well as my own.
Still, we got the guy. We put him behind bars and he’s going to stay there for a long time—the rest of his life if there’s any justice in the world.
Rynhardt touches my hand gently, leans over to me and whispers: “I’ve got to run to the men’s, don’t go anywhere.”
I smile. “Okay. Enjoy yourself.”
He rolls his eyes, smiling back, before giving me a quick peck on my cheek and leaving the table.
The set ends and I applaud loudly, beaming, as the musicians take a bow.
This is what pure joy feels like, even if I’m recovering from a possible life threatening wound. Rynhardt took time off work to join me on my three-week holiday in New Orleans, and it’s been great so far. We might have only arrived yesterday, but I’m happy I didn’t end up coming by myself. After the whole ordeal with
Him
, of me almost dying, he forgave my stealing his car, but only if I promised never to do it again. I never explicitly promised a thing, though.
There’s a possibility we’re also in an actual relationship now, although neither of us have talked about it. We just, kind of, fell into a routine. Whether it’ll grow into something more, I’m not sure. Right here and now, I don’t even want to think of the future.
A waitress saunters over, places a dish filled with oysters in front of me, and smiles.
“I didn’t order this,” I say.
“It’s been paid for,” she answers, her accent heavy, before she walks off to tend to another table.
I study the dish, but before I take some, a man with short bleached dreadlocks, dressed in white from head to toe, sits down opposite me.
His skin contrasts profoundly against his ensemble, but that’s the point. He commands a whole room with his daring appearance.
I pull my hand back into my lap and square my jaw.
“Oysters Rockefeller,” he says in an Ugandan accent, pointing to the food in front of me. “Best in the city.”
“Shouldn’t you be preparing for your criminal case?” I ask.
The Rabbi grins. “I was acquitted of all charges, thanks to lack of evidence.”
“Congratulations,” I answer, my throat tightening.
“You still owe me a favour and I’ve come to collect.”
“I’m on holiday, recuperating after my run-in with Kenneth Mtetwa.”
“I heard. Had it not been for the twins’ protection, I’m sure you would have been dead,” The Rabbi says. “You have some good friends in them.”
“Or maybe I was just lucky enough to survive a lunatic’s attack?”
“Surely, you can’t still doubt these things’ authenticity. After all you’ve seen and experienced?” He looks incredulous.
I respond with a slight shrug.
“Be that as it may, I am cashing in my favour. I have a friend who’s in trouble, you see? A friend who has been accused of a horrific ritual murder, which I know she didn’t commit. There are good, there are evil, and then there are the neutrals. I am one of those neutrals who do not pick a side. She is a neutral, too. Seeing as you’re one of the best, I was thinking you can extend your services to help get her off the hook, and find the real killer while you’re at it.”