A 17-year-old suspect from Divhani village appeared in the Dzanani Magistrate's Court on Tuesday, 2 May, following the death of Masala Glen Murulana (22) at a pub in Mawoni village on Saturday, 29 April. Masala was a well-known soccer player, who played for Tshiswenda Cliffside FC.
The incident happened when Masala and one of his close friends and neighbours, Moses Phaswana, stopped at Rambani pub for a few beers after a soccer league game earlier that day. At around 19:00, however, Moses left Masala at the tavern and went home.
In the meantime, three boys allegedly travelled from Divhani to Mawoni village in search of Moses, to settle an old score. However, when they got to the pub and found that Moses had already left, they decided to settle the score with Masala instead.
According to the acting police spokesperson in Vhembe, Sergeant Vuledzani Dathi, the incident occurred at around 22:00 that evening. "The victim was drinking liquor at Rambani pub when a certain group of three guys who were there drinking liquor went outside. They came back in, with two of them standing at the entrance door, while the other one (suspect) walked straight up to the victim and stabbed him in the chest once. The victim collapsed and was certified dead at the scene. The suspect was arrested," he said.
In an interview with this newspaper, his friend Moses said his problem with the boys from Divhani had started four years ago, when one of them had stolen his (Moses's) girlfriend.
"When I was in Grade 12 at Frank Ravele, they started setting traps for me. They would also threaten to beat up my friends. I ended up confronting them and told them if they had a fight with me, they must not involve my friends. It escalated to a point where they would sometimes wait for me outside the school gate, and I would ask one of the teachers at the school to accompany me home. It became an issue at school, and we were forced to reconcile," Moses said.
He said he had met Masala two or three years ago when Masala had moved from Vleifontein to Ha-Maphila, and that they had been good friends ever since. "I was sleeping when my mother received a phone call, informing her that my friend had been stabbed to death. I don't understand why my friend had to die for something he was not even a part of," said Moses with tears in his eyes.
One of Masala's cousins, Mary-Jane Murulana, said the family members were in deep mourning. "We thought he was going to play for those big teams one day and that we would see him on TV. He had big dreams about becoming a huge soccer star and giving his mother a better life. Our hearts are shattered," she said.
The suspect, who cannot be named because he is still a minor, appeared in the Dzanani Magistrate's Court again on Monday, 8 May. The case was postponed to 29 May.
A probation officer, who preferred not to be named because of office protocol, explained that cases that involve minors (14 years to 21 years) are usually referred to a social worker for assessment. "When the social worker is done with the assessment, they sit with the magistrate, parents or guardians of the suspect, the social worker, and the representative of the plaintiff and that of the perpetrator. After listening to both arguments, the judge will then decide whether to send the perpetrator into child or youth care, or to release them into the care of their parents or guardian. But usually, in the case of a murder, they are sent to juvenile prisons," he said.
Masala was buried in Vleifontein village on Saturday, 6 May.