The body of a Zimbabwean man was found at Tshififi-Tshitasini village, outside Thohoyandou, over the weekend. He is believed to have been killed by an angry mob after he was allegedly found stealing from and terrorising the people in their villages.
The incident took place on Friday, 27 January, at around 19:30. Acting spokesperson for the Vhembe police Sgt Vuledzani Dathi confirmed that the police in Thohoyandou are investigating a case of murder. He said the police had received reports about a male person who had been killed – possibly by a mob. They then proceeded to the scene of the crime, where they found the man's body. He had multiple stab wounds over his body.
The deceased was identified as Tapiwa Ndlovu. His nephew, Musa Ushe, who is also a Zimbabwean national, confirmed his identity.
Preliminary investigations revealed that Ndlovu and Ushe were staying at Ha-Ragwala and survived by doing piece jobs. Ndlovu was being accused of rape around the area before he was killed.
According to Dathi, no arrests have yet been made as the suspects remain unknown at this stage. Police investigations continue.
Mr Patrick Madzunye, the community leader of the rural communities of Budzhe, Tshififi and Ha-Ragwala, said he was worried about the high crime rate in his area. "We constantly hear about our communities having sleepless nights because of the high crime rate. They are being terrorised with burglaries, theft, rape and bag snatchings. We are tired of crime, and we want our communities to be regarded as peaceful places in the country," he said.
Despite this frustration, Madzunye advised his communities not to take the law into their own hands, but rather to report crime-related incidents in their areas to the police as soon as they happened.