Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review Volumes 32 and 33.djvu/530

 2 20 A Recent Twin- Murder in S. Africa.

Twins are not allowed to live ; the children are not allowed to be seen by a man. The women manage. No questions are asked. I have heard that twins are not allowed to be touched, i.e. allowed to grow up. I have heard this is the custom. By Mr. Attorney Minchin.

I am related to the two accused. Chelelo is my wife. Ban- yatsan is my daughter. I am the headman of the village. Yes ! I have only heard of this custom. I have not assisted in killing any twins. My wife has not had any twins. There are not twins living in my stadt. It is a general custom among the Mokalaka to kill twins. I don't know the manner of killing the twins. If my wife had twins I would let them grow because it is no more the custom. I don't know why twins are objected to. It is unlucky for the parents. It is a custom among women to kill them. By the Coxirt.

The Mokalaka have different customs to the Bamangwato.

The accused Chelelo elects to make the following statement on oath and is duly sworn : Chelelo.

I am the mother of Banyatsan, who gave birth to twins last May. I was sent there by the husband of Banyatsan. I found Gabalene there. Gabalene said that the twins must not be allowed to grow up, or the father of the twins would die. Gabalene is the sister of the husband of Banyatsan. We then killed the twins. We boiled some fat. Gabalene boiled it in a tin. Gabalene then put the fat into the throats of the children of Banyatsan. It is not true that those children were choked. My daughter Banyatsan cried when the children were killed. By Mr. Attorney Minchin.

I know Mayoka. She was not present when the children were killed. When she returned she found the children dead. Mayoka did not ask if the children had been fed. Gabalene told Mayoka that the children had been killed. Mayoka did not ask me if it was true that the children were dead. Yes ! I consented to the killing of the twins. Banyatsan was looking through the door at the time. The bodies were buried next