Four suspects accused of the murder of a 32-year-old woman and her two-year-old daughter appeared in the Thohoyandou Magistrate's Court on Tuesday afternoon.
Rendani Tshigwili and her daughter, Ndingatshilidzi Makungo, were last seen in May on their way to the shops in Thohoyandou. Their bodies were discovered on 30 July after investigators followed up on a credible lead. Two suspects were arrested shortly afterwards.
A joint operation by the Vhembe District investigative team and the provincial task force on missing persons later led the police to Hlabeni Block F in the Saselamani policing area, where a 55-year-old suspect was arrested. A fourth suspect, a 38-year-old traditional healer from Muraga village, was allegedly found in possession of the victims' heads.
The accused – Tshilidzi Phalandwa (43), Balanganani Sedzani Tshivhombedze (32), Humbulani Munzhelele (55) and Mpho Nefale (38) – face six charges:
* Strangling Rendani Tshigwili.
* Strangling Ndingatshilidzi Makungo.
* Kidnapping.
* Denying the victims freedom of movement by taking them to the bushes at Ha-Tshikonelo.
* Defeating the ends of justice by burning their bodies and concealing their remains.
* Possession of human skulls.
All four abandoned bail. The case was postponed to 4 November for further investigation.
As the charges were read out, family members in court wept. Outside, the victim's aunt, Mrs Esther Thukhutha, said she was still struggling to accept what had happened. "The family spent a lot of money and time looking for the two when they were still missing, while her neighbour – who is alleged to have been her boyfriend – was always helping the family search, knowing full well that he had [allegedly] killed her," she said.
She added: "I pray every day for justice to take its course. Let the killers rot in jail!"