Illegal fatal surgery prophetess spared jail

A BULAWAYO prophetess who performed “surgery” on a woman’s private parts which resulted in her bleeding excessively and subsequently dying, has been ordered to perform 630 hours of community service.

Excillia Mhiti (30) of Emakhandeni suburb removed a growth on Mpumelelo Ndlovu’s privates after the prophet, Edward Machengo (53), attended to her at their shrine.

The prophet then requested Mhiti to “operate” on THE High Court yesterday dismissed an application by prominent Bulawayo lawyer Mr Ndabezinhle Mazibuko who was suing a city supermarket for $25 000 after he bought a box of fruit juice which was allegedly contaminated with a “nauseating and poisonous” foreign body.

Mr Mazibuko, through his lawyers, Calderwood, Bryce Hendrie and Partners, filed summons at the Bulawayo High Court in 2016 citing Broadway Spar Supermarket as the defendant after alleging that his health was compromised as a result of drinking the fruit juice.

Bulawayo High Court judge Justice Nokuthula Moyo ruled that there was no medical evidence to support Mr Mazibuko’s claim.

“The plaintiff (Mr Mazibuko) did not produce any medical evidence to support his claim. It is trite that to sustain a claim for damages, which are medically motivated, a medical report should be submitted as medicine is an area of expertise and only a doctor can confirm an illness, its extent and effects on a patient. However, in this case no evidence was adduced and neither was the sum of $25 000 shown to be the appropriate remedy in terms of the quantum of damages payable,” she said.

Justice Moyo said Mr Mazibuko’s case was baseless and lacked merit.

“Clearly in this matter, no medical evidence was tabled by the plaintiff and consequently no medical the deceased in November last year.

After the “operation” which was conducted at Johane Masowe shrine in Emakhandeni, Ndlovu bled non-stop and died a week later.

Mhiti pleaded guilty to charges of culpable homicide while Machengo pleaded not guilty before Bulawayo regional magistrate Mr Joseph Mabeza.

The magistrate found Machengo not guilty and acquitted him after a full trial.

He said Mhiti was not trained to perform such operations.

“The operation was performed in a bush and was not supervised. As a result the deceased lost a lot of blood,” Mr Mabeza said.

The magistrate sentenced Mhiti to three years in prison and 18 months were suspended on condition that she does not commit a similar offence in the next five years.

The remaining 18 months were suspended on condition she performs 630 hours of community service.

Mhiti pleaded with the court to give her a lesser sentence, saying she performed the operation out of ignorance.

“I was only trying to help her since she came to the shrine seeking help. I will not repeat such an offence again,” she said.

Prosecuting, Mr Tinashe Dzipe said Ndlovu went to a Johane Masowe shrine hoping to be cured of a growth that had developed on her privates.

“On November 7 last year, the deceased was attended to by Machengo, a prophet at the shrine who requested Mhiti, a prophetess, to attend to her,” he said.

“Mhiti used a razor blade to cut the growth on the deceased’s privates and she started to bleed. The bleeding did not stop until she passed away on November 15.”

Mpumelelo did not seek medical attention, leading to her death. — @MondelaC