14: Burned Alive – The Witch Murders of South Africa

Burned Alive – The Witch Murders of South Africa

Heinous Beliefs: Where Faith Meets Fear and Turns to Fire

In this chilling and emotional deep-dive, we expose a brutal truth that rarely makes headlines: people in modern-day South Africa mostly older women are still being accused of witchcraft and burned alive.

Yes, you read that right. This isn’t some ancient historical footnote from the 1600s. This is happening in the 2020s. Right now. In communities where fear, spiritual confusion, and poverty meet belief is still being used to justify murder.

In this episode, we cover:

• The real-life case of Anna Feti a 58-year-old woman with epilepsy who was falsely accused of cursing two young men. Her own neighbors dragged her into the street and burned her alive. The police stood by and did nothing.
  
  
• How culture, trauma, Christianity, colonialism, and traditional belief systems clash leaving vulnerable people in the crossfire.
  
  
• The psychology of mob violence: how grief, fear, and projection turn people into killers.
  
  
• The legal failure: outdated laws like South Africa’s Witchcraft Suppression Act of 1957 that criminalize witchcraft instead of protecting victims.
  
  
• The silence of the state and media and how this global crisis gets erased by mainstream narratives.
  
  
• The fact that this isn’t just a South Africa issue. Witch killings are still happening in Ghana, India, Papua New Guinea, Tanzania, and even in immigrant communities across the U.S. and Europe.
  
  

This episode is one of the heaviest we’ve done not only because of the horror of the crimes, but because of the silence that follows. No news coverage. No justice. No memorials. Just ashes.

But on Heinous Beliefs, we don’t do silence. We speak the truth, we say the names, and we ask the hard questions. Always.

Content Warning
This episode includes graphic descriptions of violence, death, elder abuse, and ideologically motivated murder. Listener discretion is strongly advised.

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What is Heinous beliefs?

Heinous Beliefs is a true crime podcast exploring the dark intersection of belief and brutality. Each episode unpacks chilling cases of murder, genocide, and family annihilation, all influenced by deeply held ideologies—especially religious ones. From misguided faith to warped dogmas, we uncover the disturbing truths behind crimes committed in the name of belief systems. With extensive research and a relaxed, conversational tone, Heinous Beliefs sheds light on the human capacity for good and evil when faith goes astray.



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