NEWS 24 (Johannesburg, S Africa) 23 May 05 Snakeman' stirs panic
Acornhoek: A widow fears for her life following rumours that her late husband, a sangoma, has returned from the dead in the form of a huge snake with a human head.
Glory Nyathi, 42, of Cottondale near Acornhoek in Limpopo is also accused of feeding the human-headed snake in the middle of the night.
"My four children and I are treated like witches now," she said. "People are threatening to burn my house and don't want my children to attend school."
Rumours are that the snake has the head of the late Lazarus Maboko and, like him, wears spectacles. It's said that the snake terrorises villagers at night.
Nyathi has challenged anyone with evidence to come forward.
"My husband is dead and I want his spirit to rest in peace, but if he can be returned, let someone help me," she said.
Her husband died on December 8 last year and Nyathi believes rumours of his resurrection started when their 11-year-old son thought he saw his father herding cattle earlier this month.
The boy also wakes up in tears at night, saying his father had visited him.
"Nobody has visited my home since the rumours started spreading," said Nyathi.
Someone also started a rumour that Nyathi has a boyfriend who saw her feeding the snake at her house and alerted police, who confiscated the snake.
Afraid for her family's life, Nyathi went to the police herself for help, but said the officers laughed at her and said they couldn't do anything to help her.
"They said my son had started everything and there was nothing they could do unless the family was attacked," said Nyathi.
She then hired a sangoma who made matters worse by saying her late husband had been turned into a zombie, and that she should hire a sangoma who specialises in spirits of the dead.
"I am now willing to pay anyone who can raise my husband from the dead," she said. She is offering three cows.
Police have denied rumours that they had confiscated the snake.
"We have no such report and there is no way that a dead person can return to life in any form, not to mention that of a half-human, half snake," said Mopani police spokesperson, Inspector Maano Sadike.
He warned that the rumours were dangerous and could spill over into witchcraft related violence.
Snakeman' stirs panic