BULAWAYO- A 47-year-old man who killed his mother during a row over witchcraft left court a free man on Monday after a magistrate ruled that he acted in self-defence.
Amad Nyathi, of Mzilikazi suburb in Bulawayo, was facing a charge of culpable homicide over the January 18, 2017, death of his 69-year-old mother, Sikhangele Nyathi, during a bizarre confrontation that unfolded in full view of stunned neighbours.
Nyathi appeared before Bulawayo magistrate Matthew Mutiro, who ruled that he had no intention to kill and only reacted to what appeared to be an escalating and dangerous assault by his mother who was believed to be “possessed” by spirits during the fracas.
“The circumstances of this case are very sad where a son killed his own mother. There was longstanding bad blood between the two over allegations of witchcraft,” Mutiro noted in his ruling.
The court heard that tensions reached a boiling point when Nyathi invited self-styled prophets to their home. The prophets allegedly revealed that his mother was behind a string of mysterious deaths in the family.
Nyathi, the court heard, was advised that his mother’s “altar garments” be burned to cleanse the home.
That triggered the elderly woman’s rage and she allegedly lashed out at her son violently.
“She began assaulting him with a walking stick, threw a full brick at him — which he dodged — then grabbed and pulled his manhood for about 15 minutes. Neighbours watched in shock but no-one intervened because they believed she was possessed,” said the magistrate.
In a desperate bid to free himself, Nyathi wrestled the stick from his mother and struck her multiple times, including blows to the head.
She fled to a neighbour’s house and was taken to hospital, where she died six days later.
A neighbour, Siphathisiwe Mhlanga, backed Nyathi’s version of events.
“I was outside when I saw him bleeding from the head, running from the house. The now deceased was chasing him, hitting him with a stick. She then picked up a brick and hurled it at him before grabbing his penis. She wouldn’t let go for over 10 minutes,” she testified.
“She was groaning and saying strange things. She claimed to have consumed the flesh of her husband and grandchildren, but said that her son’s child tasted sour. Everyone was afraid to go near her.”
All state witnesses testified that Nyathi acted in self-defence and had tried to escape the attack.
Mutiro agreed, ruling that Nyathi was not criminally liable.
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