100 bodies in grave

Galactica

Galactica

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A sangoma's vision of buried bodies has led to the unearthing of a suspected mass grave, containing nearly 100 skeletons, on a sugarcane farm in KwaZulu-Natal.

The grave, which is to be sealed off today by police, forensic investigators and anthropologists, was found on the Glenroy Farm near Dududu on the South Coast.

Forensic experts say that if there were sinister motives behind the burials, the find would possibly rank among the worst human-rights atrocities in South Africa.

Thabane Dube, the mayor of Vulamehlo municipality - under which Dududu falls - said the graves were located near former hostels on the farm, currently owned by Illovo Sugar.

"The area is huge. Several hundred square metres, which are filled with trees and bushes. You can see the mounds. Lots of them.

"The challenge is that we have not been able to speak to the owners other than the farm manager, who is a junior official. When we asked if we can view the area he allowed us to but cautioned that he was doing it at risk to his job as management doesn't allow outsiders onto the farm. We don't know if the owners know about the mass graves if there are any," Dube said.

As a high-level investigation into the find is launched, more questions than answers are emerging about the origin and identities of the bodies and the reason for their burial.

It is vital that the area be properly preserved. There are fears that should the skeletons, believed to be those of prison labourers from the 1960s and 1970s, be moved, their identities or causes of death will never be known.

The farms in the area, about 70km from Durban, were known for their use of prison labour during the apartheid era.

Private forensic investigator David Klatzow, who has been briefed on the find, said time was of the essence.

He said it had to be assumed that the grave was a crime scene.

"If they are historical graves that is one thing, but if they are more recent, as is being punted, you must assume that those buried were done so without proper papers.

"If they were officially buried it would be marked properly and there would be official records from mortuaries and various government departments."

He said various scenarios had to be considered, including whether those buried died simultaneously or not.

"Even if they died over time, if their burials were not recorded properly it is still a crime as due process would not have been followed. You can't just bury someone wherever and whenever you like."

Klatzow said if the skeletons were those of prisoners there would be records of which prison they were taken from and when they were booked out and in.

"Importantly with a mass grave like this, the cause of death must be found. It is vital bones are properly preserved so it can be determined whether violence was used.

"If there was violence there will be signs such as bullet marks and blunt-force trauma. It's vital this site is 'frozen in time'. That nothing is moved. It must be treated like an archaeological site so you can determine how the skeletons came to be here, whether they were buried in coffins and if there are clues to their identities and cause of death.

"This is very suspicious. There has to be a paper trail. There have to be records as 100 people simply don't drop off the planet without a trace," said Klatzow.

Provincial government spokesman Thami Ngwenya said they had been informed last week of the discovery.

Last year, a sangoma alerted authorities in the area to his visions of buried bodies, leading to the discovery.

Vulamehlo municipal manager Msizi Zulu said: "A sangoma approached the provincial government after spirits began haunting him about the grave. A mass grave of some sorts has been identified."

Zulu said it was strongly believed the bodies were those of prisoners. The nearest prison was Umzinto.

The National Prosecuting Authority and the Department of Home Affairs are to conduct a forensic investigation of the grave.

Police forensic experts and anthropologists were preparing to visit the farm, a police officer said.

"So far police have not been to the farm. We have heard the burials are not legitimate. It is urgent we get there quickly."
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Link.
 
Hahaha so he helped the government and now he must be arrested? Talk about shooting the messenger.
 
Galactica said:
Hahaha so he helped the government and now he must be arrested? Talk about shooting the messenger.
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Well since magic doesn't officially exist he must have known about the existance of the graves in some other way.
 
Galactica said:
Hahaha so he helped the government and now he must be arrested? Talk about shooting the messenger.
Click to expand...

I'm sorry, but Sangomas do NOT have visions about bodies in a grave.
If he knew they were there, then he knows how they got there.
Science, Baby! ;)
 
Garyvdh said:
I'm sorry, but Sangomas do NOT have visions about bodies in a grave.
If he knew they were there, then he knows how they got there.
Science, Baby! ;)
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Well apparently they do, and the state doesn't seem to have a problem with that.
 
Galactica said:
Well apparently they do, and the state doesn't seem to have a problem with that.
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There is no such thing as a "vision", and the state is wrong.
The judge will sort it out in court.
... and you need to go back to school! ;)
 
Must be those bloody whites again. Black people would never do this to each other. *cough*Mugarbage*cough*
 
Garyvdh said:
There is no such thing as a "vision", and the state is wrong.
The judge will sort it out in court.
... and you need to go back to school! ;)
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You can shout the state is wrong all you want but they agree with the Sangoma and went by his advice. Even some western governments have used help from pychics whether you agree or not.
 
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