Maanda Sendedza

Maanda Sendedza (1978 - 2005)

Brief overview:

Maanda (27), a promising soccer star, whose private parts and tongue were sliced off, was found dead and his girlfriend, Nyelisani Sidimela (18), who survived, was found laying helplessly next to his body. Her lips had been sliced off.

Sendedza’s trousers and cell phone were missing. Phosha and Dzebu were allegedly found in possession of Maanda Sendedza’s private parts, tongue, cell phone and trousers. They were also allegedly found in possession of Nyelisani Sidimela’s removed lips.

Brief Biography:

• Other Victims/Family
  • Joyce and Richard Sendedza, the parents of the muti victim, Maanda Sendedza
  • 2014: Nyelisani Sidimela (33) of Makonde, who was 18-years-old at the time, and left for dead, later married and had a baby. *https://archive.is/pRVeH
• Funeral/Memorial
• The Street/Suburb
• The Region (Land disputes, other incidents etc.)
  • The headless body of a 40-year-old unknown man was discovered at Mafukani, outside Thohoyandou, in November 2004. After an intensive investigation, the traditional healers cooperated with the police and dug up the skull and ribs on the banks of the Mbwedi River in Tshidzini village.

Attack Details:

• Date and time of attack
• Weapons
• Items Stolen
• Investigative officer/SAPS Case No:
• Torture, Gratuitous violence
• Indications of Hate Crime? Threats etc.

Perpetrator details:

• Number and Descriptions
• Arrests
• Name/s and age/s of Perpetrator/s
• Country of origin of Perpetrator/s
• Trial/Conviction
  • Bishop Joseph Tanzwani who heads the Holiness Apostolic Church in Thohoyandou, and sangomas Mukondeleli Phosha (54), and Shumani Dzebu (31), are charged with murder, attempted murder and robbery.
  • In a confession made at the Thohoyandou Magistrate’s Court, Shumani Dzebu confessed that he had taken part in the killing and the removal of body parts from both Maanda Sendedza and Nyelisani Sidimela. He also took the police to the scene of the ritual murder and explained how it had happened. However, he took everyone by surprise when he told Judge Ephraim Makgoba on Thursday that he had not confessed of his own free will as he was forced to make the confession by police officers who had assaulted him shortly after his arrest.

Additional Biographical Information:

Links to Media articles:

• https://archive.ph/vnSSP
• https://archive.ph/3frvl
• https://archive.ph/ax4Ac
• https://archive.ph/uTTh5