A squabble between three brothers from the rural village of Tswinga, outside Thohoyandou, over ownership of an RDP house ended in tragedy when the youngest of the brothers allegedly used a brick to attack and kill one of his older brothers.
The RDP house at the centre of the fight belonged to the late Ms Gladys Mabuli, the mother of the three unemployed brothers. The trouble apparently started when Ms Mabuli died in 2020. Her sons, Fhatuwani, Nthambeleni (deceased) and elder brother Azwinndini Mabuli, had to share the house after her death.
The fight over ownership of the house first ended up at the traditional leader's kraal. According to Ms Masindi Netswinga, Vhamusanda Mmbangiseni Netswinga's aid, the younger brother, Fhatuwani, came to the kraal about two weeks ago, informing them that his older brother, Nthambeleni, was chasing him out of the house. Nthambeleni allegedly claimed that the house belonged to him as he was the one who had fetched the water when the house had been built.
"We wrote him a letter to take with him when he reported the case to the police. Whether he did go to the police we don't know, but we were surprised when we heard on Sunday night that the older brother had been attacked and killed by his younger brother," said Masindi Netswinga.
"As representatives of the traditional leadership in the village, we went to investigate the matter, accompanied by the Vhakoma (petty headman) Tshavhungwe Nethonzhe, who stayed near the Mabuli family. On arrival, we found Nthambeleni laying in a pool of blood, with his head seriously damaged. He was dead."
Vhakoma Nethonzhe said Fhatuwani had come to her to report that he had found his brother dead when he (Fhatuwani) had arrived home, but after questioning, the eldest brother, Azwinndini, allegedly confessed that Fhatuwani was the one who had killed Nthambeleni. According to Azwinndini, Fhatuwani had used one of the bricks that were left from building the RDP house to hit his brother over the head. Nethonzhe said that, after this revelation, they had called the police, who had arrived swiftly and arrested Fhatuwani and his friend.
Limpopo police spokesperson Brig Motlafela Mojapelo confirmed that the police in Thohoyandou had arrested two suspects at Tswinga village and charged them with murder.
The accused, aged 34 and 35, appeared in the Thohoyandou Magistrate's Court on Wednesday, 6 April. From what could be established they were released and the investigations are continuing.