Livhuwani Madadzhe, widely known as "SABC Livhu," has gone from being a beloved comedian and social-media personality in Limpopo to a man entangled in serious legal troubles. Facing charges of murder, grievous bodily harm (GBH), multiple fraud allegations, and vehicle theft, his dramatic fall from grace has shocked many.
For most of Thursday (20 March), he attempted to secure bail, but there seemed little chance of him spending the long weekend in the comfort of his home. Two additional car theft charges were added to the charge sheet, and the State refused to budge, insisting that these were criminal matters rather than civil disputes.
This week's legal drama began on Monday when Madadzhe appeared in the Waterval Court, where his lawyer informed the judge that he would be appearing in another court the following day (Tuesday, 18 March) to apply for bail on newly added fraud charges. The State and the judge did not oppose the request, and the matter was postponed to Wednesday, 19 March. During proceedings, his lawyer stated that Madadzhe intended to plead guilty to two of the three charges he faces but did not specify which ones.
Judge Thogomelani Tshidada assured the court that the murder trial would proceed on Wednesday, 19 March, regardless of the circumstances.
On Tuesday, 18 March, Madadzhe appeared in the Thohoyandou High Court for a bail hearing related to his car theft charges. The matter was postponed to Wednesday, 19 March – the same day his murder trial was set to begin in Waterval. This scheduling conflict caused confusion among those wishing to attend, who were unsure whether to go to Thohoyandou or Waterval.
Madadzhe's murder charge stems from the 2022 death of his wife, Lindelani Nengovhela, whose body was found in a water-filled, disused pit toilet at their home in Mangondi Ha-Sidou Village. The incident sent shockwaves through the community and marked the beginning of his legal troubles.
But his alleged crimes extend beyond murder.
In 2017, he reportedly faked his mother's death to claim insurance money, even erecting a tombstone to make the claim appear legitimate. The scam unravelled when his mother discovered that she had been officially listed as deceased at the Department of Home Affairs.
He is also accused of renting vehicles from various car rental companies, including Avis, and fraudulently posing as an agent to offer these vehicles for hire.
When Madadzhe appeared in the High Court on Wednesday, he faced five charges. The first charge was fraud for faking his mother's death to claim insurance money. The second charge related to an incident where he allegedly attempted to claim R120,000 from FNB (which was reportedly unsuccessful).
The third count related to the alleged assault on his late wife, while the fourth was for her murder. The fifth charge was for interfering with the justice system.
Madadzhe pleaded guilty to the two fraud charges. He admitted to deceiving several community leaders by falsely claiming that his mother had died.
The court could not proceed with the trial or hear evidence on the assault, murder, and obstruction of justice charges, as the witnesses were unavailable due to the confusion about which court Madadzhe would be appearing in.
Judge Tshidada informed the parties that the High Court always takes priority when there is a scheduling conflict. The case was postponed to Monday, 24 March.
On Thursday, Madadzhe appeared in the Thohoyandou Magistrate's Court to face the theft charges and apply for bail. The State added two more car theft charges, alleging that, in addition to the BMW, two more vehicles had been stolen. Madadzhe's lawyers argued that the issue with the rented cars should be treated as a civil matter rather than a criminal one, contending that the vehicles had been rented, not stolen.
The court was told that Madadzhe needed to be released on bail because he still cared for his children and provided his mother with R4,000 per month to look after them. However, the State opposed the bail application, arguing that he had committed crimes while out on bail. It was further noted that he faces a Schedule 6 offence in the High Court, where bail applications are more stringent, requiring the accused to demonstrate exceptional circumstances for release.