The South African Police Services special unit tasked with combating crime linked to occult activities was never disbanded. It merely went underground because the glare of publicity sometimes hindered investigations.
This was disclosed to Gateway News by the Commander of SAPS Occult Crime Unit, Dr Attie Lamprecht, who said there are at least 20 Occult Unit investigators in SA who have been specially trained to investigate occult-related crimes.
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Reports that the unit was being re-established 15 years after it was disbanded surfaced last year when it was reported that former Occult Unit Commander Dr Kobus Jonker had trained three SAPS investigators in the Eastern Cape as part of a national drive by the SAPS to crack down on muti murders and other occult-related crimes. Jonker led the unit from when it was established in 1981 until he retired in 2001 after suffering a heart attack.
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The supposed disbanding of the unit was believed to be as a result of complaints that its activities infringed on the constitutional right to religious freedom which even accommodate Satanism as a legitimate religion.
Indeed, the South African Pagan Rights Alliance (SAPRA) and Satanists were quick off the mark in voicing their objections to alleged religious prejudice after reports emerged in September about Jonker training officers to investigate occult-related crimes. SAPRA is currently objecting to an initiative in which Gauteng Education MEC Barbara Creecy signed a memorandum of understanding in March with faith-based organisations , to develop an “anti-harmful religious practices” strategy for schools. The signing followed incidents in which a secondary school learner died in an alleged satanic killing by other learners.
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Complaint to SAHRC
SA Human Rights Commission spokesman, Mr Isaac Mangena, confirmed that the SAHRC has received a formal complaint regarding remarks made by Creecy. He said the complaint will be investigated.
SAPRA director Daman Leff told media that pagans fear that their children may be victimised as a result of the proposed “harmful practices” policy. He said the religion of Satanism does not encourage violence but that children who commit heinous crimes may use Satanism or the devil as an excuse for their criminal behaviour.
The fact that the Occult-Unit has been operating since 1981 indicates that police do take occult-related crime seriously. A recent internal memo to station commanders in a cluster in KwaZulu-Natal warns of planned satanic rituals with the possibility of children being sacrificed. Current unit commander, Lamprecht, himself has been quoted as saying that although Satanism is not a crime, it is a belief system that leads to crime.
In an interview Jonker dismissed claims by paganists that Satanism does not involve violence. He said crime statistics prove otherwise, and “right now there is a case in court involving a crime and Satanism”. He said that Satanists are mostly adults and school children involved are mostly ‘dabblers’.
He said that one of the main reasons behind increased occult and satanic involvement in schools, is that the “hearts of the father’s in society today are far from God”.
He cited absentee fathers and dysfunctional families as a reason for a dysfunctional society.
Veteran anti-drug activist and founder of ‘Extreme Freedom’, Dr Aldo Krige, said in an interview that from his frequent experience of going into schools, covens are very isolated, but children are delving into the occult.
He said that a spirit of anarchy in society is bringing Satanism into the schools and that Satanists use anarchy to damage families.
Krige also said that people who go to witch doctors are opening doors to Satanism, as witch doctors are actually practicing Satanism whether they believe it or not.
After almost 30 years in the field he has found that the only way that people are set free from Satanism, anarchy and drugs is by a decision for Jesus Christ and then undergoing discipleship first before rehabilitation.
So Kobus Jonker is very loose in what he defines as “Satanism”. Assuming he is referring to the Kirsty Theologo case. The “alleged Satanism” is something referred to by the media. It is very clear in numerous articles that the accused in the case did not understand Satanism and made up their own rituals based on misunderstandingsabout what is required in Satanism. The Satanic Bible is against such acts and many Theistic Satanists operate within the confines of the law – this is easily confirmed by reading their literature and about their beliefs. The Pagans are not wrong here. Jonker is simply grasping at straws. Likewise many other cases construed in the media as “Satanism” was merely labelled as such based on rumours and hearsay.
Francisco you need to be subject to 1 Peter 2 :16 “Live as people who are free not using your freedom as a cover up for evil but living as servants of God. Honour everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God.
Honour the emperor.”
Its important that we support this unit with prayer support and encouragement as occult practices are frequently behind the violence in the country as well as in prisons and gangs with all their mystical and violent initiations. Can we hear prayer requests and be more in touch with these guys? (Satanists are not violent – who are they kidding)
As the director of the South African Pagan Rights Alliance, and as the Editor-in-chief of Penton Independent Pagan Media, I would like to exercise my legal right to comment on your article please?
It is the position of this Alliance that a) Attie Lamprecht’s statement regarding the alleged non-disbandment of the ORC units, said statement appears to be congruent with a 26 October 2006 government release entitled ‘Media statement on the release of the report of the Task Team on ritual murders in Limpopo’ at http://www.info.gov.za/speeches/2006/06103013451001.htm in which the work of said units is highlighted.
b) Kobus Jonker’s continuing assertion that crime statistics prove that involvement in Satanism leads to violent crime in public schools constitutes an unsupported allegation. Actual court records reveal a very different fact; that said alleged cases of proof of Satanism were proven in courts of law to have nothing to do with actual Satanism or real Satanists! Test this in a court, why don;t you? We’d be happy to oblige with the actual evidence!
c) Dr Aldo Krige’s assertion that there is a movement afoot to introduce Satanism into schools in order to “use anarchy to damage families” constitutes an outright lie; a deliberately constructed fantasy without any actual factual support!
Should you choose not to publish this response, it will be published on the websites of both SAPRA and Penton I.P.M., and will accompany further submission to the SA Human Rights Commission as contributing evidence of a deliberate attempt by evangelical Christians determined to scapegoat Satanists in order to justify the deliberate propagation of hate speech against Satanists and other identified religious minorities.
Yours Sincerely
Damon Leff
Director: SAPRA
Hi Damon. Thanks for your response. I have been away at Karoo Mighty Men Conference and am only now catching up with comment moderation. As stated on our website, we will not approve comments that contain hate speech or vulgar language. Other than that all comments and points of view are welcome.
Satan is deceitful and violent, according to Jesus (John 8:44), so this is what one expect of the religion that bears his name. Demonic activity is rife under many guises, including African Traditional Religions where its influence is widespread, and muthi made from body parts harvested from living people is regarded as extra powerful. Yet we must defend the right of all religions to exist. It is the evil PRACTICES of such religions which must be condemned. As soon as we act as Religious Police we cross the line of Freedom of Religion. Yet Freedom of Religion must never be interpreted as “All Roads Lead to God” Universalism. Each religion has the right to exist and win converts. Which puts the onus of Evangelism on us as Christians, and we should actively seek to persuade all men to come to Jesus Christ as the only Saviour of the world.
I agree Hugh.
It is said that deceit is the Devils tool.
The fact that the SAPS Occult Unit faked its own closing down show the very deceitful nature of the Unit. During its entire history it has not been able to show actual evidence of any crime that was somehow Occult related.
Occult Unit Commander Dr Kobus Jonker has been shown during his control of the group to be a complete fraud by a serious police investigator, not to mention in serious academic studies. Its officers are ill-trained in the Occult that they claim to be investigating, using only the fraudulent information provided by Jonker.
How much longer must South Africa must suffer the existence of this fraudulent fear creating organization within the SA police department, taking away resources desperately needed to fight serious and very real crime in South Africa?
Kobus Jonker handled the satanism crime related cases very wrong. He does not understand what is going on, no wonder he had a heart attack. Hes weak and makes up stories. He handled the case of the demon boy who killed his family so wrong and the court believed him. How wrong was his testimonies against the boy.
There is so much wrong with this article, factually and from the obvious bias it was written from. For starters, it is ‘Pagans’, not ‘Paganists’. Then there is still the fact that the ORCU was founded in 1992- not 1981.
However the greatest glaring inaccuracies are the statements and prejudice contained within this piece. Donker Jonker does not have a leg to stand on as the statistics he claims knowledge of don’t exist, just as the case he refers to is not based on actual Satanic practices.
For a full response to this fantastical work of fantasy, see here: http://www.penton.co.za/living-the-lie/
What a darn cheek!! I’m fricking disgusted! I’d like to pose the following question to christians supporting this lying, terrorizing, fear mongering christian group: what ever happened to Exodus 20:16? If this verse does not mean anything to you, then what would your take be on Exodus 20:13? Probably the same, I guess…
Satanic Ritual Abuse (SRA) propaganda and persecution is an attempt by adherents of one belief system to transfer the guilt, complicity, culpability and responsibility from a perceived adherent of another belief system, along with any blame for the acts of that individual, onto that belief system or religious identity, and also to all other adherents of that belief system or identity.
It is therefore an effort to strip the individual (based upon the particular religion, belief system or identity he or she affiliates with, in the case of such not being the same as those making the comparison) of the capacity to understand the consequences of his/her own actions, to bear the responsibility for their actions, and of the ability to make choices. SRA propaganda and persecution is, in simplified terms, the demonization of those who do not follow the herd by those who cling to it.
It is incitement to hate, pure and simple. People hate what they fear, and they fear what they do not understand. The solution is not to destroy those you don’t understand, but to seek and find understanding, which brings tolerance and peace, inside and out.
but why , is it never possible to get in contact with the occult police when one needs them ? this is being so infuriating …..& for yrs, decades …the problem still repeats worse ……can one get extra help quorums from this point ????
is there a email &/or phone to contact them , please ??
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please send me kobus jonkers contact details have information
please can someone refer me to this man or someone similar
Can you please sent me Dr Kobus Jonkers contact no.
Hi
What about occultists that break in and plant camera’s and listening devices to get them ”in” the organization.
I have information and photographs that I would love someone to take a look at.
It would be great if someone from the division could get hold of me. I am also still in the process of getting free so every avenue of help is welcome.
Thank you