A 71-year-old traditional healer who is accused of sexually assaulting five boys and the ’’compelled rape’’ of a young girl was denied bail by the Motherwell Magistrate’s Court on Friday.
Zukile Douglas Tyobeka was refused bail because his life is in danger as residents of Motherwell allegedly forced his adult children to flee their home and warned them that they would murder their father if he were to return to the house, National Prosecuting Authority Eastern Cape spokesperson Anelisa Ngcakani said.
’’The court also found that Tyobeka did not provide exceptional circumstances for him to be granted bail and that the offences he is accused of were serious. Tyobeka initially abandoned his bail on 27 January, 2021,’’ she said.
It is alleged that between 2019 and 2021, he sexually assaulted five boys aged from 13 to 17. It is further alleged that during this period, Tyobeka instructed a 17-year-old boy to rape a 13-year-old girl.
’’On separate occasions the boys visited Tyobeka's home seeking supernatural powers and protection. He offered them a band which allegedly possessed supernatural powers and also required them to undergo a spiritual ritual.
’’The ritual entailed steaming the entire body for an hour and applying muti on the body. The alleged victims were then required to sleep naked on Tyobeka's bed overnight.
’’It is alleged that the victims would then wake up in the middle of the night and find him sexually assaulting them.
’’The court heard during his application for bail that he would convince his alleged victims that the sexual acts were necessary for the spiritual rituals to be successful,“ Ngcakani said.
His case was postponed to September 3 for further investigation.
IOL