Cannibalism victim to be laid to rest

PORT ELIZABETH — Hundreds of mourners attended the funeral service of Thembeka Masumpa at her home in Mpamba village, KwaBhaca — formerly known as Mount Frere on Saturday.

Masumpa (35), died when a 23-year-old Aphiwe Mapekula allegedly slit her throat and ate her flesh two weeks ago.

Alfred Nzo District Municipality Mayor Sixolile Mehlomakhulu said it was shocking and painful to lose the two young lives through such an incident.

Mehlomakhulu said both the Umzimvubu Local Municipality and Alfred Nzo District Municipality had assisted the family with funeral arrangements as they were a struggling family.

“The delegations from both municipalities visited the Masumpa family to send our condolences and to comfort them; we have seen that they needed assistance, hence we have stepped in,” said Mehlomakhulu.

“Once again we send our condolences to both the Masumpa and Mapekula families and we wish to put in on record that no family deserves the pain these two families are currently going through,” he added.

Umzimvubu Local Municipality mayor, Bulelwa Mabhengu said: “It’s unfortunate that our society has been exposed to one the most horrific incidents to unfold in our area.

“The municipality has visited both families to sympathise with the sudden loss of their loved ones. It’s with this reason that we would like to plead with all communities to unite against this act and proactively rebuke cannibalism,” said Mabengu.

Both mayors said they would work with other government department to facilitate awareness campaigns to ensure that communities were vigilant and proactive to prevent such incidents from happing.

Mapekula, who died at the Nelson Mandela Central Hospital‚ where he was admitted after being shot by police, was also buried on Saturday in KwaBhaca. — Sapa

Kabila defended a military campaign in the Kasai region, which the United Nations has said resulted in hundreds of extrajudicial killings, saying his forces were fighting “terrorists”.

“In the Kasai, a mystical tribal militia is using the civilian population, including children, as human shields, attacking people and state buildings, sowing terror,” he said.

Kasai has been in turmoil since a tribal chieftain known as the Kamwina Nsapu, who rebelled against Kabila’s regime, was killed in August. More than 3 000 people have died and 1.4 million have been displaced, according to the Catholic Church.

Kabila described as “barbaric” the murder of two UN experts in the Kasai, and pledged to “shed full light” on the crime and bring those responsible to justice.

Zaida Catalan, a Swedish-Chilean national and American Michael Sharp were killed in March while investigating reports of more than 40 mass graves in the Kasai. — AFP