The date has been set, the courtroom will be ready and the accused will appear. But one crucial figure is still missing, and South Africa is watching to see who fills the empty chair.
When the murder trial of comedian and social media personality Livhuwani Madadzhe, better known as SABC Livhu, resumes on 26 July, it will do so before a judge whose identity remains, for now, a tightly held secret. There has been no announcement, no name and no indication of who will take the seat of justice that will decide his fate.
The case has become one of Limpopo’s most closely followed courtroom dramas, involving allegations of domestic violence, a disputed death, security footage that allegedly cuts off at a critical moment and a judge who previously recused himself. The question of who will preside over the proceedings has only deepened public interest.
Lindelani Nengovhela, known on social media as Mia Muofhe, was found dead in a water-filled pit toilet at her home in Mangondi Ha-Sidou village on 28 January 2023, a day after she withdrew a domestic violence case against her husband, Madadzhe.
Madadzhe was arrested and later released on R50,000 bail. He faces charges of murder, assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, defeating the ends of justice and fraud. Additional fraud and vehicle-related charges are being heard separately in the Thohoyandou Magistrate’s Court.
The trial has heard testimony from investigators who questioned how a disused pit toilet became water-filled, and who pointed to evidence suggesting Nengovhela may have been killed elsewhere before her body was placed there. Security footage from the couple’s home has also become a focus, after it allegedly stopped recording at a critical moment.
In May 2025, the case took a turn when Judge Thogomelani Tshidada recused himself after the defence argued that comments he made about information received from a doctor created a reasonable apprehension of bias. The recusal meant that evidence already heard will have to be presented again before a new presiding judge.
For Nengovhela’s family, the prolonged court process has deepened their grief and frustration. They continue to hope that the next stage of the trial will bring them closer to answers and justice.