An 18-year-old man was arrested shortly after his friend, a 16-year-old boy, was shot and killed at Madombidzha last Thursday (12th).
The deceased, Rolivhuwa Bakali, was a Grade 8 learner at Litshovhu High School.
The spokesperson for the police in Vhembe, W/O Vuledzani Dathi, confirmed the incident and the arrest of the suspect. He said a firearm had been found in the possession of the suspect and had been confiscated.
"We have opened a murder case, and detectives are still trying to determine who owns the firearm," he said. Dathi added that the firearm has been sent for ballistic testing to determine whether it has been used in other crimes.
The shocked father, Mr Ronald Bakali, expressed his devastation, saying, "It feels like a part of me has been taken away. We were still expecting so much from this boy. He was very bright and dedicated to his schoolwork."
Bakali said the family still did not know how the young man had obtained the firearm or learned how to use it. "Our children are no longer safe if children as young as this boy can possess a gun," he said.
He also thanked the community for their support during this difficult time. "As a family, the tragedy came when we were least prepared. I am no longer working, and we do not even know how we are going to bury him," he said.
The local traditional leader, Vhamusanda Vho Ntsundeni Sinthumule, urged community members to be vigilant against crime, saying it was destabilising society and hindering development in the country. He condemned the boy's death, calling it senseless. "We are losing leaders of tomorrow due to negligence. Please let us unite against this scourge of crime, and this country will be a better place to live in," he said.
Rolivhuwa will be buried at the Madombidzha cemetery on Friday, 20 December.
The suspect appeared in the Tshilwavhusiku Court on Tuesday, 17 December, where he was expected to apply for bail. The outcome of the hearing was not known at the time of our going to press.