A 50-year-old Community Policing Forum member from Manamani, outside Thohoyandou, was brutally murdered at his home in the early hours of Saturday, 7 October, in what is believed to be a revenge attack.
According to the Vhembe SAPS's communications officer, W/O Vuledzani Dathi, the deceased, Mr Nnyawedzeni Matodzi, was at home sleeping when he heard a knock at the door. He got up to investigate, and when he opened the window to see if anyone was outside, someone stabbed him above the ear with a sharp object.
Matodzi, who was bleeding heavily, was rushed to the local Shayandima Clinic and transferred to Tshilidzini Hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries.
The police have opened a murder case. "The suspect is known, and we are busy tracking him down. It is only a matter of time before we arrest him," said Dathi.
A rumour doing the rounds is that Matodzi's son had allegedly had a fight with some men at the local beer lounge and run away. The group then went to Matodzi's home in search of the son, who lived with him, and when they did not find him there, they vented their anger on Matodzi by stabbing him.
Community leader Ms Eulenda Sumbana said the incident had sparked fear in the community. "Our community is experiencing a period of peace, with very little crime reported in the village, so this incident has come as a shock to us," she said.
The deceased's sister, Ms Avhasei Matodzi, said the family was devastated by what had happened and now worried about how they would survive as Matodzi had been the sole breadwinner in the family.
Anyone with information that might lead to the arrest of the suspect can liaise with Detective Sergeant Humbulani Faith Siaga on 076 621 7197 or 015 960 1000.