Fake Zim healers arrested in SA

Police recently arrested five Zimbabwean men here who swindled the public by claiming to be prophets and traditional healers.

Posters advertising Zim prophets cover hoardings in central Johannesburg.
Posters advertising Zim prophets cover hoardings in central Johannesburg.

Two months ago, The Zimbabwean published a story exposing how some gullible Zimbabweans in South Africa were falling prey to false prophets who had mushroomed down South.

The police, who confirm having nabbed tens of such imposters from Zimbabwe, Ghana and Nigeria, this week revealed the arrest of at least five more Zimbabweans and a Ugandan, in an ongoing operation initiated by the Pretoria city council.

The operation was launched after public complaints that the fake healers were conning people of money ranging between R500 and R10 000, after claiming to cure them of various ailments and “bad luck”.

The prophets are so daring that they employ people to hand out posters and paste banners and billboards advertising themselves. Some place adverts in local newspapers.

“We followed up on the advertisements and arrested these fake healers, who have no licences to operate and could not produce proof that they are indeed what they claim to be,” said Ndumiso Jaca, deputy head of the Tshwane metro police.

“Some of them were caught distributing pamphlets in the city centre and putting up posters. We are now investigating their claims of being traditional healers because they are not registered anywhere.”

The fake healers are also accused of environmentally endangering the public.

“They have no regard for the environment because they burn various things, from herbs to animal skins with a strong smell, thereby polluting the environment and endangering their neighbours in flats where they live,” added Jaca.

Post published in: Africa News
Comments
  1. fatima
    • mpho
    • NELLY
  2. nassif
  3. SAM
  4. Jin Ermelo

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *