Mbumbulu traditional healer's consultation helps crack case of missing seven-year-old girl
A suspect made a brief appearance at the Mbumbulu Magistrate's Court yesterday in relation to the disappearance of seven-year-old Nhlalwenhle Magwaza. Her skeletal remais were discovered in a stream not far from her home in Phezukomkhono, Mbumbulu, last week Thursday, after her disappearance in November last year.
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A sangoma (traditional healer) played a crucial role in the arrest of a suspect linked to the disappearance and death of a seven-year-old girl from Phezukomkhono, Mbumbulu, south of Durban.
Nhlalwenhle Magwaza, 7, was reported missing on November 23, 2025 after going to a nearby tuckshop. Her skeletal remains were discovered last Thursday in a stream a short distance from her home, following information that emerged during a consultation between a sangoma and a male relative of the child.
According to a family member, the suspect approached the sangoma earlier last week demanding a cleansing ritual at knifepoint, complaining of persistent nightmares and sleepless nights linked to the missing child.
“The man said the spirit of the child was troubling him,” said the relative.
During the consultation, the suspect allegedly threatened the sangoma with a knife and demanded to be cleansed. He is further alleged to have confessed that Nhlalwenhle’s remains were in a nearby stream.
The sangoma reportedly informed family elders, who insisted that the matter be reported to the police.
“They said this could not be kept a secret and that the police had to be involved. That is how the case was cracked,” the relative said.
On Thursday, police contacted Nhlalwenhle’s mother and instructed her and other family members to accompany officers to the stream.
“When we arrived, we saw one of her shoes that she was wearing the day she went missing,” said the relative.
Only bones were recovered from the scene.
“They were scattered all over, the skull, limbs, ribs and legs. It looked like the child had been chopped up,” the relative said, adding that the family is awaiting DNA results to formally confirm the identity.
Despite the arrest, the suspect continues to deny any involvement in the child’s murder.
“There is a lot that is confusing. We don’t believe he is innocent, but it is also hard to believe that he acted alone,” the relative said.
The family suspects others may have been involved, citing anonymous phone calls they received from individuals who appeared to have detailed knowledge of the child’s disappearance.
“We wish he would reveal everything and name everyone involved so that justice can be served. He is not fit to live in the community,” the relative added.
The family also believes Nhlalwenhle was not killed at the stream where her remains were found.
“That stream is visible from her home. Someone would have seen her being taken there,” said the relative.
They further claim that police had previously searched the area with sniffer dogs and found nothing, leading them to believe her remains were dumped there at a later stage.
The relative also recalled previous violent behaviour by the suspect, alleging that he had used a hammer to kill stray dogs in the area that were attacking chickens.
Yesterday, the suspect appeared in the Mbumbulu Magistrate's Court for the first time after his arrest on January 8, 2026, and the matter was postponed to an unspecified date while court awaits reports from the district surgeon and a psychologist to determine his fitness to stand trial. Outside court, community members were protesting with placards calling for the court not to grant the suspect bail.