The recent arrest and appearance in court of three men accused of ritual killings in the Eastern Cape has highlighted the problem of so-called muti murders, one of which is that they are rarely highlighted.

In another country one or two murders would be sensational. Eighteen murders in a small town within a few months should rival the Virginia Tech killings in the USA for newsworthiness -- at least in South Africa.

But no, things like the Virginia Tech killings got more coverage in the South African media than serial killings in our own back yard.

Why is this?

Is it because many of the Virginia Tech victims were white, and the Mzamba victims were black? Are deaths of white people more newsworthy than the deaths of black people?

And what happens to these case? So often it is reported that someone has been murdered, and that muti killing is suspected, and then no more is heard. If someone charged, that may be reported, and no more is heard. Is anyone ever convicted?

I read somewhere that Swaziland has the highest number of ritual murders. Yes, these are hideous crimes, especially when perpetrated on little kids, but it's not a new phenomenon. These practices have been carried out for possibly thousands of years in various parts of the African continent and, no doubt, will continue

bizarre, barbaric and depraved.....