Man fed to lions prayed during attack (Horrible Story)

Swiss Info ^ | 21 Feb 2005 | Reuters

[Cornpone]

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - A man fed to lions closed his eyes in prayer as his former employer and colleagues attacked him just hours before his grisly death, one of the alleged murderers has told a South African court.

In a racially charged case, three men are standing trial for the murder of 41-year-old farm worker Nelson Chisale. Little more than his skull, shards of bone and a finger were found at an enclosure for rare white lions early last year.

The case has provoked an outcry in South Africa where, a decade after the end of apartheid white rule, some white farmers are still accused of abusing and ploiting black workers. The three defendants have denied the charges.

Former colleague Simon Mathebula told the court his co-accused Richard Mathebula wounded Chisale when he returned to collect his belongings from the farm where he used to work, the South African Press Association (SAPA) reported on Monday.

Then his white employer Mark Scott-Crossley twice kicked a wound he had received in the attack, pointed a gun at Chisale and told him to pray.

"I looked at Nelson at that stage ... and I saw him closing his eyes and praying," SAPA quoted Simon Mathebula as telling the court.

A few hours later the prosecution says Chisale was thrown over the fence of a lion enclosure. A post mortem showed the cause of death as being "mauled by lions".

Protesters demanding life sentences for Scott-Crossley and his two co-accused black employees have picketed some sittings of the court in Phalaborwa close to the Kruger National Park northeast of Johannesburg.

The high-profile trial resumed on Monday even though Richard Mathebula was too sick to attend.

[cyborg]

I have to make sure never to tick off my boss.

[jocon307]

"Protesters demanding life sentences..."

Life sentances? Why aren't they demanding the death penalty?

Why do they say they killed this man in such an awful way? I've read about this trial before, but I still don't know what the (alleged, of course) motive was.

[NRA2BFree]

I hope they throw the one's who did it to the lions. Let them see what a horrific way that is to die.

[mlbford2]

``A post mortem showed the cause of death as being "mauled by lions".``

I thought all was left was a bone shard and a finger. Uhhhh, OK.

[injin]

In Thailand , it is said to be common practice to dispose of
adversaries , protesters , generally anyone the authorities
really want to have just completely disappear , by throwing them into the Crocodile pits . Croc farms are numerous and the critters are more than will to oblige . Plus , who is going to check?

[reagan_fanatic]

Bad Kitty.

[American Vet Repairman]

This could make big waves.

[speed_addiction]

In Thailand , it is said to be common practice to dispose of adversaries , protesters , generally anyone the authorities really want to have just completely disappear , by throwing them into the Crocodile pits . Croc farms are numerous and the critters are more than will to oblige . Plus , who is going to check?

Pigs do just as efficient a job, though you have to chop up the skull a bit since they can't eat it whole.

[LtKerst]

The real issue here is that this story has legs because the boss is white and that feeds the world media race-baiting, but they never have enough ink to tell the other storys about the hundreds of white farmers driven out and their land grabbed by Mugabe and his gangsters, and the Nation is begging for food now when before it was growing enough.

The Un will do nothing to bring justice to the white farmers but will call for America to send food and money to this corrupt dictatorship.

[MSSC6644]

I may be wrong, but aren't you confusing South Africa with Zimbawe? (Not that there aren't problems in South Africa, too.)

[okie01]

I may be wrong, but aren't you confusing South Africa with Zimbawe?

No confusion is implied nor is it necessary to the analogy. The media will be thrilled to report the bestial behavior of a white boss in South Africa toward a black laborer, but they can't be bothered to report the equally bestial behavior of Mugabe toward white farmers in Zim.

That the latter also has the effect of starving thousands of black Zimbabweans to death is of no consequence, either.

[ArcLight]

This is no joke; neither should it be an opportunity to score political points. The hellish fiends who did this should never see daylight again. I don't favor the death penalty, but life in solitary sounds just right for such human trash. I don't care what color they are. They should pay a terrible price for their filthy crime.

[okie01]

The hellish fiends who did this should never see daylight again. I don't favor the death penalty, but life in solitary sounds just right for such human trash.

I do favor the death penalty. And this is one of those cases where it is most richly deserved. Irrespective of the color of the victim or the perpetrator.

[af_vet_1981]

I don't favor the death penalty,

Why not ?

[Dog Gone]

Pigs do just as efficient a job, though you have to chop up the skull a bit since they can't eat it whole.

Thanks for the tip, I guess.

[vetvetdoug]

A white man and two black men threw the man over the fence to the lions so it is the white man's fault and its racism. It looks to me that the man was fed to the lions by a two thirds black majority.

[nicmarlo]

that reminds me of the Hannibal Lecter movies...forget which one did that.