VICTOR KHUPISO

30 January 2000
Sunday Times, South Africa

  A FAMILY say they are being terrorised by an invisible creature which moves their beds and breaks objects in their home.

"When we sleep blankets are removed from us and our bodies are smeared with lotions which are in the house," said father of four Masite Sejake. "Sometimes Vaseline is smeared on us."

The family, of Motlonyane village near Mafikeng in North West, say their problems began on January 8 when the eldest son, Tsamaiso, 12, saw what they believe was a tokoloshe and screamed that there was a short old man in the house. The boy says the creature hit him in the face several times.

That same night the family experienced other mysterious happenings. They say the bedroom wardrobe moved to the kitchen and objects from the kitchen were put in the bedroom.

Since then they have been terrorised by the mysterious creature, which swears at them and writes on the walls that it hates them before disappearing.

The creature also apparently throws stones and household appliances at the family. And after they go to sleep in their bedrooms they wake up either in the kitchen or outside.

The family say the creature swears and spits at them, especially at Tsamaiso.

" In one incident I was talking to my friends," said Sejake. "They had to flee when my jacket was thrown at us. It was flying towards us.

"When we go to the toilet, it flushes before one is finished. Sometimes the door will be locked from outside.

"Life is a nightmare for us. Different churches have come to pray to cast out the evil spirit, but nothing happens.

Instead, after they leave, it intensifies its attacks.

"Tsamaiso sees the creature and that may be why he is so hated and attacked by it."

Tsamaiso's mother, Mathulo, says her brother, who visited the family last week, had a stone thrown at him while they were praying. She says it caused a serious gash on the head.

" It breaks my heart because my son seems to the one who is most hated by the creature. It also writes in his schoolbooks and then destroys them - now he leaves his books at school.

"When I leave food for the children to eat in the morning before they go to school I find the pots empty and even washed up. Now they go school with empty stomachs.

"Villagers are afraid of coming near the house. We are being isolated because of these strange things," she said. Police spokesman, Captain Patrick Asaneng, said the police were finding it difficult to deal with what was happening at the Sejake home.

"I went with a prophet to the house to pray for the family but nothing happened. The creature attacks them when they are alone," he said.

"We stayed with the family hoping it would start, but nothing happened. But when we left we received information that the creature was attacking them.

"Our hands are tied in this matter because no crime is being committed.

"I want to appeal to anyone who can help the family to contact me."

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