Mpho Hope Mudau woke up last Sunday and went about her business as usual. She did her laundry, including her own school uniforms, as if she were preparing for school the following day. But around 12:00, the 13-year-old girl from Vondwe, outside Thohoyandou, entered her room and never came out alive. She allegedly committed suicide by hanging herself.
This is not an isolated incident where teenagers take their own lives. In February 2024, a girl, Rialivhuwa Netsianda (13), from Duthuni village near Thohoyandou, allegedly committed suicide after complaining of being bullied at school for being poor and living in an RDP house.
The latest incident has left the family and the community with many unanswered questions, asking themselves why she had taken her life.
In an interview with local community radio station Vhembe FM, the deceased girl's aunt, Ms Aluwani Gumbu, said the death had shocked them all. "She was a quiet girl who also attended church. On that fateful day, she did her washing, preparing for school the following day. She never complained of anything or showed any signs of stress, and we are not sure what could have made her take such a decision. We are busy preparing for her funeral, but as it came unexpectedly and her parents are not working, the family will welcome any form of assistance towards the funeral," she told Vhembe FM.
The local civic leader, Mr Pfariso Nephalama, also expressed his shock. "The incident came as a shock and surprise to us as a community. We visited the family, and they told us there was nothing to show that she was troubled. We are busy assisting the family with whatever we can," he said.
W/O Vuledzani Dathi, Vhembe SAPS's spokesperson, confirmed the incident, saying they had opened an inquest docket. "Preliminary investigations indicated that the deceased arrived home from her boyfriend's place and did her washing before going inside her room. Later, she was found hanging, already dead. The girl was thoroughly scrutinised, and no foul play is suspected. Her body was taken to the local government mortuary for an autopsy and further investigations," he said.