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 23 Sept SA family wiped out by traditional medicine
Thirteen members of the same family have died in South Africa after apparently ingesting poison prepared by a trainee traditional herbalist.
Reports said the trainee healer was part the Mazubane family whose bodies were discovered at their home in Dingleton, KwaZulu Natal. It is believed the healer may have administered poison by mistake.
The deceased include three generations of the Mazubane family, including a two-week-old baby and four boys aged between two and seven. Police believe their 17-year-old brother, a trainee traditional healer, mixed and administered the deadly potion. He died alongside his grandparents, mother, aunts and siblings.
The South African Press Association reported that all of the victims had blood dripping from their noses when they were found by a neighbour on Sunday.
Two adult male family members survived because they were not at the home at the time. Post-mortem examinations are being carried out to determine the exact cause of death, but police believe the teenage healer may have used poisonous herbs by mistake.
Traditional healers, known as 'Sangomas', are widely respected in South Africa where many believe ancient herbal remedies are more effective than western medicine. A recent survey showed that 80 per cent of the population regularly consult a Sangoma.
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