Police Probe Ongoing Attacks as Second Traditional Healer Murdered in Limpopo

• Another sangoma was shot and killed at his home in Limpopo village on Sunday, 21 December 2025
• This marks the second killing of a traditional healer in just a week in the Limpopo village
• The South African Police Service in Limpopo is investigating the motives for both murders

Justin Williams, a journalist at Briefly News since 2024, covers South Africa’s current affairs. Before joining Briefly News, he served as a writer and chief editor at Right for Education Africa’s South African chapter.

LIMPOPO - Limpopo authorities confirmed the killing of a second sangoma within a week. This incident raised concerns about attacks on traditional healers in the province.

Two sangoma's killed within a week

A 67-year-old man was fatally shot at his homestead in Worcester village in the Mopani District. Police in Limpopo said the incident occurred at about 5 pm on Sunday, 21 December 2025. Officers received a report of a man lying with gunshot wounds at the village, and upon arrival, police found the victim unconscious under a verandah at his home.

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According to police, a family member arrived home and discovered the victim with gunshot injuries on the verandah before alerting his grandmother, who was inside the house at the time. Emergency medical services were called to the scene, but the man was declared dead on arrival.

Ledwaba said officers recovered a 9mm cartridge at the scene, which will form part of the ongoing investigation. The deceased was identified as Michel Maanaso, a well-known traditional healer in the area. At this stage, the suspects remain unknown, and the motive for the killing has not yet been established.

Man posing as a police detective

The incident follows a similar killing reported last week in the Mopani District, where an 80-year-old traditional healer was shot dead at his home in Nwa-Khuwani village outside Giyani. The victim was allegedly lured outside by a man posing as a police detective before being fatally shot near his gate.

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Police said preliminary investigations revealed that the elderly man and his son had been asleep when they heard a vehicle hooting outside their home. The son went out to investigate and encountered an unknown man standing next to a vehicle parked near the gate. The victim was later found lying dead outside the property.

Police have not confirmed whether the two killings are linked, but investigations into both incidents are ongoing.

3 More stories about people being killed

• Briefly News previously reported that Police Limpopo arrested a 51-year-old traditional healer in Hlabeni Block F on 1 August 2025, when severed heads were allegedly found in his possession. This followed a grim earlier discovery of the 31-year-old mother and 2-year-old child's decapitated bodies.
• A man's decomposing body was found hanging in the ceiling, and a woman's body was found next to him in an alleged murder-suicide in Thabazimbi.
• A police investigation was launched after human remains were unearthed by a dog in Limpopo. A family living in Morutji village, Tzaneen, alerted police after discovering a body at their homestead.

Source: Briefly News