A spiritual healer from Makhanda, Eastern Cape, has been sentenced for culpable homicide following the tragic death of a 10-year-old boy who died after receiving at least 15 litres of water in his body.
Ntombentsha Limbo was sentenced to nine years imprisonment, suspended for five years for the untimely death of Agcobile Busakwe on October 4, 2023.
According to National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson, Luxolo Tyali, the boy’s father approached Limbo for assistance when he expressed concerns about his son’s health and academic performance.
Upon arrival at the healer’s home, Limbo recommended a series of characteristically dubious treatments that would ultimately take a devastating toll on the young boy.
Initially, Limbo instructed the boy and his father to consume five litres of salted water, intending to induce vomiting. Despite the boy being seemingly healthy, engaging in playful banter prior to the treatment, he struggled to purge his system, only managing to expel approximately 750ml of the salty concoction.
As time progressed, the boy reported feeling unwell and complained of a headache and lethargy. Limbo’s subsequent recommendations included administering an enema, which she justified through a supposed vision of an ailment within the child’s stomach. Reluctantly, the boy’s father consented to this further treatment.
During the procedure, the boy’s condition deteriorated significantly. Crying out in distress, he pleaded with his father to stop the treatments, proclaiming that he felt he was going to die. However, Limbo assured the father that evil spirits preventing the healing process were the cause of his son’s discomfort. She persuaded the father to continue with her unconventional methods.
In an effort to remove the evil spirits, Limbo continued her treatments and administered multiple enemas, one containing Sunlight laundry soap, and more water poured into the boy’s eyes, ears, nose, and mouth.
The gravity of the situation only dawned when the boy began foaming at the mouth. In a desperate move, the boy’s father rushed him to a local clinic, where he was pronounced dead shortly after arrival.
In court, a doctor testified that timely medical intervention could have saved the boy’s life, noting that even an adult would struggle to survive after ingesting such excessive amounts of water.
Tyali said that Limbo did not offer a strong defense during cross-examination for continuing the child’s treatment despite the worsening condition and the child’s pleas for help.
sinenhlanhla.masilela@iol.co.za
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