STREET PASTOR CONFESSES, BLAMES DEMONS, WITCHCRAFT

MBABANE – Anthony Sipho Mbuyisa, the street pastor accused of a series of brutal crimes, including rape, robbery, and assault, has confessed to his actions in a three-hour confession before Magistrate  Sifiso Vilakati.

However, he reportedly attributed his heinous deeds to ‘demons’ and witchcraft, claiming he was driven by forces beyond his control.

Mbuyisa (43) of Siteki, who faces 10 charges, including the murder of Sanele Mhlanga and the assault of several women at Mangwaneni, detailed his crimes in disturbing clarity. He claimed to be a devout man, spending much of his time in prayer on mountain tops, but said his faith had been corrupted by life’s hardships and poverty.

“I am still shocked by what has transpired,” Mbuyisa reportedly told the court. “My actions were influenced by witchcraft, by the jealousy of those who were unhappy about my spiritual gifts.”

Confession

His confession laid bare a pattern of calculated violence. He is said to have\ admitted to targeting lone women near the Mangwaneni Cemetery, arming himself with a knife and concealing his face with a balaclava. He described threatening his victims, robbing them of their money and cellphones and then raping them.

The accused also detailed a pattern of brazen attacks. He confessed to raping a woman late one night, and then, the following morning, ambushing another woman on her way to work, threatening her with a knife before raping and robbing her. Another incident involved Mbuyisa spotting a woman washing at a well while he was praying on a mountain. He descended and proceeded to rape her.

In a particularly chilling detail, Mbuyisa reportedly confessed to stabbing Sanele Mhlanga in the chest, after he (Mhlanga) reportedly interrupted his attack on a female security guard. This incident followed a period of escalating sexual violence in the country, with police reporting a significant surge in rape cases. The accused also reportedly revealed a disturbing pattern of brazen attacks. He is said to have confessed to raping a woman late one night, and then, the following morning, ambushing another woman on her way to work, threatening her with a knife before raping and robbing her.

In one particularly disturbing account, he is said to have described raping a woman inside her Nkwalini home, while she held her toddler. He purportedly recounted how the child’s crying prompted him to order the mother to ‘calm’ the child, enabling him to proceed with the assault.

According to his confession as per the sources, Mbuyisa consistently used a knife to intimidate his victims and wore a balaclava to conceal his identity. He also disclosed that many of the women pleaded for their lives, offering him their possessions in exchange for their safety. He admitted to routinely raping and robbing his victims, often stealing their cellphones.

The charge sheet confirmed that Mbuyisa inflicted fatal wounds on Mhlanga and detailed the robberies and assaults of other women.

During his remand hearing, Mbuyisa opted to represent himself. The Crown requested the detention of items found in his possession, including the balaclava, trousers, towel, the silver knife used in the crimes and stolen cellphones. They also sought to extract Mbuyisa’s blood samples for further investigation. Mbuyisa did not object to these requests.

Magistrate Sifiso Vilakati granted the orders for the detention of items and the extraction of blood samples. Mbuyisa was remanded in custody until March 21, 2025, pending his committal to the High Court.

Mbuyisa’s confession, and his claims of demonic influence, have further fuelled public outrage and intensified calls for increased security measures to protect vulnerable members of the community.

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