Three men accused of killing a 13-year-old girl with albinism will appear in the High Court sitting in Middelburg, Mpumalanga on Tuesday.
Gabisile Shabane was killed together with her one-year-old cousin, Nkosikhona Ngwenya, who also had albinism.
A sangoma, Thokozani Msibi, and co-accused, Mthobisi Mkhize, Themba Thubane and Knowledge Mhlanga were arrested and charged with kidnapping, murder, conspiracy to commit murder and violation of a corpse.
Shabane and Ngwenya were kidnapped from their home in Vosman Emalahleni in January 2018.
Gabisile was allegedly forced to smoke dagga and also drink beer mixed with brake-fluid before she was murdered.
Her body was found buried in a shallow grave.
Ngwenya’s body was retrieved from a stream near Emalahleni.
Themba Thubane has pleaded guilty and he was given two life sentences and a further five years.
The rest of the accused have pleaded not guilty.
The plight of those living with albinism
People living with albinism are among the most vulnerable citizens and face human rights violations and threats.
While violence against albinos is more severe north of our borders, there have been kidnapping and murders here too, allegedly for body parts.
The video below outlines the plight of South Africans living with albinism and celebrates their human rights as the country observed International Albinism Awareness Day last year on June 13:
