A BRITISH couple who were kidnapped in South Africa had their bodies dismembered and the bloody parts sold to a witch doctor, it is claimed.
Dedicated pensioners Tony and Gillian Dinnis were attacked and kidnapped last August, allegedly by three armed men, on their remote farm in Middlerus, KwaZulu-Natal province.
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Two men were arrested in September last year and later released pending further investigations.
One of them – Lungelo Mkhize, 22 – confessed that Tony, 73, and his wife Gillian, 78, were brutally massacred.
Mkhize reportedly worked at Dinnis Farm for two years before finding a job at Mooi River as a security guard.
The 22-year-old was arrested again in March facing two counts of kidnapping and one count of extortion.
At a hearing later that month, the State opposed bail on the grounds that the couple’s bodies and cell phones were still missing, as well as the confession of a second suspect.
In a statement presented in court by Detective Sub-Lieutenant Johannes De Lange, the second suspect, who worked for the couple at the time of their disappearance, admitted to the police that he was one of the three men involved in the kidnapping.
De Lange told the court: “He [the second suspect] They also indicated that they went to Dinnis’ residence and took a brushcutter, chainsaw and TV.
“He revealed that the other two men were armed with firearms.
“After that, they left with the couple and went to another residence, where they murdered the couple.”
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According to the second suspect, the gang allegedly cut up the body parts and traveled five hours to Johannesburg to find a witchdoctor to sell the bloody pieces for money.
It is understood the Dillis’ body parts were allegedly sold for £2,175 (R50,000), the court heard.
After the horrific confession, Mkhize was remanded in custody.
But he was released last Friday when the charges were dropped due to insufficient evidence, The citizen reports.
Mkhize had already admitted that he was involved in “capturing two white people” and the other suspect had admitted to stealing property from the farm.
There is no information about the third party involved.
Details of the horrific crime were kept secret while the Kent couple’s distraught family agreed to remain silent during the police investigation.
But now, with no prospect of the evil killers being brought to justice, his daughter Kate Anderson, 52, said she fears a cover-up.
The estate agent revealed she lies awake at night with terrifying thoughts that one of her parents may have witnessed the other being tortured to death with body parts.
She told Rapport newspaper: “My parents were massacred. They were old, helpless and only had each other. Who does something like this to people? They both just left.
“It’s as if strange beings took them, there is no sign of them.
“Police used horses, motorbikes and dogs to search the mountains and woodlands and a barbecue area was unearthed and his vegetable garden and the local dam were also searched.
“Apparently they couldn’t get good fingerprints from the house. I continued to ask the police to allocate more resources and asked for my mother’s phone to be tracked to try and find her.
“They said they only had one capture device and it was being used in another case.”
What is muti?
“MUTI” is a term used in Southern Africa to refer to traditional medicine or medicines prepared by healers, often called “sangomas” or “nyangas”.
The word “muti” is derived from the Zulu word “umuthi”, which means “tree” or “plant”, reflecting the herbaceous nature of many of these remedies.
These remedies are used for a variety of purposes, including curing physical illnesses, spiritual protection, and other rituals.
Although many forms of muti are traditional and respected parts of local culture, there are also controversies, especially when the practices involve the use of endangered species or human body parts.
The controversy surrounding muti arises primarily from certain traditional medicine practices that may be harmful, unethical, or illegal.
The most serious and controversial aspect involves the use of human body parts, which can be linked to serious crimes, such as homicide and grave robbing.
In rare but extreme cases, people, including children, have been injured or killed so that parts of their bodies can be used in muti.
Many of these practices are illegal under national and international laws.
The use of body parts, whether human or endangered animals, often involves criminal activities, leading to legal and ethical issues.
Although many see traditional medicine as an essential part of cultural heritage and identity, controversial practices associated with muti can lead to cultural stigmatization and tension between traditional beliefs and modern ethical standards.
Daughter Kate said she read the suspect’s harrowing statement, which claimed her parents’ bodies were cut up and sold to a sangoma (sorcerer) for money.
She told Rapport: “If so, my question is where is the sangoma? Is there a massive cover-up? Maybe because the police are from the same area and are afraid of muti claims?
“It seems to me that everything is a mess. I sent many emails to the police and others begging them not to abandon the investigation and get justice.”
Kate also said she was told the suspect claimed he was beaten into confessing.
She continued: “I have spoken to the rest of my family, who are extremely private and we are devastated and hurt by what has happened to all of us.
“They have openly said that they will not speak to you or anyone else about this matter. Protecting my family comes first, so I won’t work with you, but thank you for contacting me.”
Tony and Gillian from Tunbridge Wells, Kent, were married for 54 years.
After enrolling their four children in the United Kingdom, they emigrated with them more than 30 years ago to South Africa.
After the children grew up and left home, the Dinnis adopted a quiet life, growing vegetables and raising chickens.
But last August, homeowner and neighbor Kevin Foster, 59, realized he hadn’t seen them in several days and became alarmed.
Foster said he had seen no sign of the couple in three days and had received no response at the door.
He then broke in and found his five dogs and three cats inside and nothing stolen.
My parents were massacred. They were old, helpless and only had each other.
Kat Anderson
Gillian’s walker – which she can’t walk without – was still in the living room.
The couple’s Land Rover was still outside and neither was answering the phone.
Foster said: “His five dogs were barking but when there was no sign of them the next day I knew something was wrong and called a neighbor and we forced entry.
“We discovered the doors and gates were locked and released the dogs and three cats but there was no sign of any real disturbance inside but Gill’s walking stick was still there.
“She never goes anywhere without it because she has difficulty walking and that raised alarm bells, as well as the fact that the dogs and three cats were locked in their rooms for so long.
“Neither Tony nor Gill go out very often and my wife Sue or I pick up what they need from the shops to eat, but they are still active and grow great vegetables in the garden.”
Foster called the police on August 27 and a frantic search began for them, but no trace of the couple was found.
Several days later, the Dinnis’ eldest son, Sam, 42, received a threatening WhatsApp message from his mother’s phone demanding a ransom of £85,000 (R2 million) to be paid into his bank account.
Kate received the same message also in Zulu which said: “To make things easier, just pay R2 million to this bank account number if you want to see your parents again.”
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
