The alleged Tshitavha Sambandou and Folovhodwe grave robbers, who have been languishing in jail for nearly a year now, could soon know their fate.
The five appeared in the Sibasa Regional Court last week Friday and their trial date was set for 6 July
The five, among them two traditional healers, stand accused of violating graves and corpses and defeating the ends of justice.
Traditional healers Erick Kwinda (49) and Avhapfani Nemungadi (42), Daniel Nephawe (23), Colbert Nemasisi (29) and secondary school learner Mathadzhila Munyai (20) were all arrested at different locations. Nephawe was arrested in the Western Cape. He was arrested at a house belonging to one of the traditional healers, Erick Kwinda.
The shocking revelations about the body parts from corpses for sale came to light after a 17-year-old former girlfriend of one of the accused confided to members of the community that she and her boyfriend had dug up graves for parts at night. The parts, she alleged, were later sold to traditional healers.
After receiving the information, police dug up the graves and were able to confirm some of the suspicions as some body parts were found to be missing.