The latest reports of four men arrested in KZN after allegedly eating – and possibly encouraging hundreds more to eat – human flesh might have sparked a few questions of your own.

While most of the basics have been covered here and here (such as the legality, why etc), we’re going to focus on a few known incidences in South Africa’s recent history.

Although cannibalism generally occurs due to starvation or “mental health issues”, as suggested by Professor Gérard Labuschagne, sometimes it can happen because of jealously, too.

Here are the accounts of previous cannibalism-related incidences in South Africa:

1800s

In 1822, the establishing Zulu armies of the mighty, power-crazy Shaka plundered the many different African tribes in the fertile valleys of the Caledon River, dispersing especially the fleeing Sotho tribes further inland.

Pursuing them relentlessly, trained military regiments nearly annihilated the Sotho tribes during that time. Eventually, only the Sotho tribes of Mantatise and Moshesh remained.

As a result, thousands of starving Sothos barricaded themselves in strongholds in the Yoalobohola Mountains near Ficksburg and Thabo Bosiho in Lesotho, while remaining people fled to the Maluti Mountains.

In their fierce struggle for survival, the desperate, starving Sotho tribes resorted to mass cannibalism.

Read more here.

2001

In April, police swooped on a house in the Nkonka Reserve in KwaZulu-Natal and caught local resident, 35-year-old Patrick Msane, eating human flesh, after they received a telephone call from a member of the public who reported the matter, IOL reported. The body was cut up and cooked in a three legged pot.

Read that full story here.

2003

Just outside eSikhawini in Richards Bay was the kitchen of Mr Mathenjwa, an illegal immigrant from Mozambique. He was arrested after police discovered a cooking pot full of Mrs Mthembu’s body parts.

Read more here.

2014

In June, Zimbabwean national, 35-year-old Andrew Chimboza, was arrested in Cape Town for the murder of Mbuyiselo Manona (62). While appearing in the court, Chimboza admitted to stabbing Manona in the chest after Manona accused him of sleeping with his girlfriend. After stabbing him multiple times, Chimboza cut out his heart and ate it with a knife and fork. During his trial he admitted that he went too far.

There’s more on that here.

Then, to add a little more cannibalism spice to your day, here’s an international incident:

German computer technician Armin Meiwes became internationally known when he killed and ate a voluntary victim and videotaped the incident. Meiwes and the victim first attempted to eat the man’s severed penis, after which the Metzgermeister or Master Butcher, as he was called in the press, killed the man and then ate him.

Meiwes was arrested in December 2002, when a college student in Innsbruck phoned the police after seeing new advertisements for victims and details about the killing on the Internet, according to Wikipedia.

Police searched his home, and found body parts and the videotape of the killing. He was sentenced to eight years in prison for manslaughter.

During his trial he said he had always dreamt of having a younger brother – “someone to be part of me” – and became fascinated with cannibalism as a way to fulfil his obsession, Der Spiegel reported.

Now that’s an example of mental health-related cannibalism. Damn, son brother.

[source:news24]