A grieving mother's wounds were reopened this weekend after her daughter's grave was reportedly dug up by unknown suspects at the Mavhunga village cemetery in the Nzhelele Valley.
The police have confirmed that a case of violation of a grave and corpse is under investigation, following the disturbing discovery on Saturday, 12 July.
According to Limpopo police spokesperson Col Malesela Ledwaba, a concerned community member alerted a relative of the deceased after spotting a group of unidentified individuals digging at the cemetery. By the time the family member arrived, the suspects had already fled the scene.
"They found that one of the graves had been disturbed, with parts of the coffin lying outside," said Ledwaba. "The police were called and, upon arrival, discovered that the grave had indeed been dug up and the coffin broken."
Mashudu Mudzhiba, the mother of the deceased, said she was left traumatised after receiving the call that her daughter's resting place had been desecrated. "I was called on Saturday afternoon and told to come to Mavhunga village," she said. "I'm from Matanda village, so I rushed there. At the cemetery, they showed me my daughter's grave – it was violated. I saw pieces of her coffin."
Her daughter was buried in 2023, and the family was in the process of arranging a headstone when the incident occurred. "I never thought to check whether everything was still intact, if all her remains are there. The police ultimately sealed the grave with zinc. I was starting to heal, but this just brought the pain and sad memories right back," Mudzhiba said.
Provincial Police Commissioner Lt-Gen Thembi Hadebe condemned the act, describing it as "horrific and deeply disturbing". "I have instructed our detectives to make use of all available resources to track and trace those responsible for this heartless act," she said.
The motive behind the grave violation is still unknown. The police are urging anyone with information that could assist in the arrest of the suspects to come forward.
Anyone with relevant information is asked to contact Sgt Lirovha Mashudu Fortune on 072 943 5260, call the Crime Stop number on 08600 10111, visit their nearest police station, or use the MySAPS app.