SA buyers come for organs - healer

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Published Oct 2, 2013

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Mbabane - An extensive black market in human body parts has been uncovered in Swaziland’s second-largest hospital.

Demand is strong in the country for human ingredients for use in traditional potions.

The practice of selling human organs from the mortuary at Raleigh Fitkin Memorial Hospital in Manzini is an open secret. A human brain costs R1 000. Other parts, from internal organs to body fat, fetch from R400 to R1 000.

However, the sale of dead people’s body parts has been criticised by some traditional healers as unethical.

“Why do vampires only drink the fresh blood of the living? It is the same with muti. You need body parts that are fresh. I have heard they drug some victims so they can cut out a heart when it is still beating,” said Charles Mngomezulu, a traditional healer.

He said South African buyers came to Swaziland and Swazi body parts were transported across the border to South African users.

“It is a business and I can tell you that people are making money. Swaziland has more to offer than good dagga,” he said.

Independent Foreign Service

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