A 42-year-old man has been arrested in connection with the murder of his partner at Ha-Mphego village near Thohoyandou, in a case that has prompted renewed calls for urgent action against gender-based violence.
The victim, Nditwani Ndou (33), was found dead on the floor of a house with multiple wounds to her body. A steel bar was recovered at the scene. The suspect, identified as Mashudu Muhadisa, was arrested by Thohoyandou police on Monday, 3 March.
In a chilling sequence of events, it is alleged that the suspect himself contacted community leaders, instructing them to go to the house and check on his partner. According to community members who gathered at the scene, he directed people to the house, saying they would find his wife, whom he had killed, and that they must call the police when they arrived. He told them he would come on his own.
The suspect is also alleged to have set fire to household items, including a bed, blankets and clothing, and to have broken windows in the house. Community members who arrived in time managed to extinguish the fire before it could reach the body.
According to community members, the murder did not happen without warning. It is alleged that the suspect had a history of abusive behaviour. Ndou and her daughter reportedly fled the home to stay with her aunt. Less than three weeks later, Muhadisa allegedly tracked her down, followed her to her aunt’s home and brought her back to their house.
Community members said Muhadisa had told people he did not want to return to jail, having already served a long prison sentence. He had, they said, been physically abusive to Ndou for some time, often beating her severely.
Takalani Tshitete, chairperson of the South African National Civic Organisation (SANCO) in the area, expressed deep grief at the killing.
“We are very hurt. This is not the first time a woman has been killed in this manner,” said Tshitete. “We are trying by all means to work with social workers to advise people that problems have always existed and that help is available.”
Tshitete appealed to community members not to suffer in silence. “We are trying by all means to work with social workers to advise people that problems have always existed and that there is always a way forward,” he said.
The Vhembe District has recorded the highest number of domestic violence-related crimes in the province, with 531 incidents in a single quarter.
The latest crime statistics, released by the SAPS last month, show that between October and December last year, 85 rape cases were opened in Thohoyandou — 18 more than in the previous period and ten more than in the same period in 2024. Thohoyandou also ranks second in the country for sexual offences, with 93 cases reported in the third quarter.
If you or someone you know is experiencing abuse, contact the GBV Command Centre on 0800 428 428 (24-hour toll-free) or the police emergency number on 10111.