AS VIOLENT crime forces ordinary people to live behind locked doors, forensic investigator Calvin Rafadi, has unusual advice for cops.
“Police need to stop sidelining izangoma and work with them because they know more than them,” he believes.
“MOST IZINKABI SUCCEED BECAUSE THEY GET PROTECTION FROM RITUALS DONE BY IZANGOMA!”
Assassinations and senseless killings have become the order of the day and almost every day, many South Africans wake up to the news that a loved one had been shot dead.
With the death of rapper Kiernan “AKA” Forbes, izangoma have been urged to work with law enforcement to assist with cases involving hitmen or izinkabi.
Rafadi suggested that the most effective way for the police to solve these cases and even prevent them from happening was to build a working relationship with izangoma.
He said the hitmen visited their izangoma before assassinating anyone and some even left their guns with them so that they could do rituals.
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“The police are struggling to find the weapons because they are kept by izangoma,” he said.
“Some of the weapons have been used a number of times in different killings.”
He called for the Department of Correctional Services to intensify its raids in prisons.
He said when people wanted to order a killing, they mostly talked to inmates who had connections with hitmen.
“Most of the hitmen don’t even know the people who sent them to kill.
“To them, it’s a just a job,” he said.
“But those in prison have the answers in those phones they hide in their cells,” he said.
Rafadi said these killings formed part of organised crime and law enforcement needed to work hard to create a good relationship with informers.
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He said if the police could raid indumbas across Mzansi, they’d solve many cases.
“These killers come to us to get protection and for cleansing after they have committed their crimes, and we help them,” he said.
Traditional Healers Organisation’s Mkhulu Rhulani Manganyi said cops sidelined them.
He said if police allowed them to work with them, they would not only help to curb crime but would also protect police officers.
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“Some of us have gifts to see things before they happen and if the police trusted us and our intelligence, the crime rate would be reduced,” he said.
National police spokeswoman Brigadier Atlenda Mathe said their mandate was to work with every member of the community when fighting crime.
She said they didn’t choose whether it was faith-based community organisations, traditional healers, businesses or civil rights organisations.
“Anyone who has a tip about any criminal activity or breakthrough is welcome to come to us. We encourage that,” she said.
