Summary
In September 2018, a family in Mamelodi East, South Africa, reported a series of disturbing incidents inside their home, which they attributed to a supernatural entity known as a tokoloshe. Richard Rahlogo, aged 72, described unexplained disturbances involving missing schoolbooks, overturned furniture, torn curtains, scattered food, and washing powder spread across beds. According to Rahlogo, the incidents had continued for approximately a month and frightened the family enough to flee their house during one particularly alarming episode. Traditional and religious practitioners were reportedly called to help, but the disturbances allegedly continued. The cause of the reported events was never independently established.
Additional Notes
The alleged haunting became public on September 6, 2018, when a South African news report described the experiences of Richard Rahlogo and his family in Mamelodi East, a township in the Tshwane metropolitan area of Gauteng Province. According to Rahlogo, the disturbances began around a month earlier. One of the first incidents involved his granddaughter's schoolbooks, which disappeared despite the family's efforts to find them. The situation reportedly escalated when the chair on which Rahlogo was sitting suddenly overturned, throwing him to the floor. He claimed that an unseen force then began tearing down the curtains, causing the frightened family to run outside into the street. Other reported incidents included food being scattered, curtains repeatedly pulled down, and washing powder sprinkled over beds. The family associated these events with a tokoloshe, a supernatural being found in several southern African traditions. Seeking relief, the family reportedly contacted a sangoma, or traditional healer. Rahlogo claimed that the practitioner was physically attacked by an unseen force and fled, leaving some possessions behind. A religious prophet was subsequently called to the house. According to the family, water brought by the prophet was scattered over them, while a Bible was thrown outside. The newspaper also quoted Prophet Makgonatjohle Seaparo, who recommended spiritual cleansing and interpreted the alleged activity as an attempt by a tokoloshe to occupy the residence. Rahlogo expressed frustration over the money he had spent seeking help. His account reflects the distress experienced by the household, although the supernatural interpretation remains unverified. No independently authenticated recordings, physical evidence, or investigative findings confirming the presence of an unexplained entity have been identified. The available reporting does not establish what caused the disturbances or whether they continued after September 2018.
The Location Today
Mamelodi East remains a residential area within the City of Tshwane, Gauteng. The present condition of the reported house and any subsequent developments relating to the alleged haunting are unknown. Map coordinates indicate the general area only, not the actual property.
- Environment
- Urban Area, Residential Area
- Time of Day
- Unknown time of day
- Evidence Level
- Newspaper Report
- Visiting the Location
- Not Applicable
- Ownership of the Location
- Private