KEY POINTS
- Court officials sentenced Ntombentsha Limbo when she killed a 10-year-old boy through excessive water-based treatments.
- The child passed away as a result of Limbo implementing his questionable treatment methods through the combination of saltwater therapy and repeated bowel purgings.
- According to medical testimony a doctor confirmed that medical treatment during appropriate timeframes could have saved the boy.
A Makhanda-based Eastern Cape spiritual healer received nine-year imprisonment which became suspended for five years after causing the death of 10-year-old Agcobile Busakwe through water overload during his mystical healing.
Ntombentsha Limbo received a culpable homicide conviction because she administered treatments the court judged as questionable and hurtful to the young boy. The boy’s father visited Limbo on October 4th 2023 due to his son displaying health problems.
Healer’s unproven treatments lead to tragedy
Luxolo Tyali from the National Prosecuting Authority explained the boy received treatment from Limbo after his father consulted with the healer about his health problems. At her home Limbo started by ordering the patient to consume five liters of salt water to trigger vomiting. The apparently healthy boy had difficulty removing the liquid so he managed to eject only 750ml of water by vomiting.
When the boy became ill and started experiencing a headache together with fatigue Limbo offered to give him an enema due to what she saw in a visionary state as a stomach problem. His father gave permission reluctantly because he did not realize the situation was becoming worse.
Deteriorating condition and continued treatments
The boy rapidly fell into worse condition throughout the enema procedure which caused him to weep while begging his father to end the therapy. The father felt reassured by Limbo who attributed his son’s agony to enemy spirits that blocked recovery so he authorized the treatment to continue.
Limbo refused to stop but completed additional enema procedures with a Sunlight laundry soap solution then forced water into all of the boy’s facial openings. A dangerous condition occurred because the boy started producing foamy saliva through his mouth. When his father took the boy to a nearby clinic the doctors declared the boy had passed away immediately after entering the facility. Healer’s unproven treatments led to the pasing away of the boy.
Doctor’s testimony and legal outcome
During the court hearing a doctor stated that medical help for the boy within a timely manner could have stopped his death. A doctor testified that even an adult under the same circumstances would have difficulty enduring such large water intake.
Tyali highlighted that Limbo presented a weak defense during her cross-examination because she failed adequately to explain why she kept treating the patient as his health deteriorated and he begged for assistance.
