Sainthood for man who defied witch

A TEACHER who was bludgeoned to death for resisting witchcraft is set to become South Africa’s first saint.

Benedict Daswa was beaten to death 25 years ago by fellow villagers after he refused to pay a sorcerer who promised to end devastating storms.

He was stoned and hid in a hut but was beaten to death with a stick on February 2, 1990 – the day South Africa’s apartheid regime said it would release Nelson Mandela.

Virtually unknown when he died, his fame grew among South Africa’s Catholics, with villagers commemorating the anniversary of his death.

Yesterday, he was beatified – the first step towards sainthood – by Italian Cardinal Angelo Amato at a ceremony near his home in the province of Limpopo in northern South Africa.

Fr John Finn, who buried him, described Daswa as ‘a man of incredible generosity. He was always taking care of children and elders’.