In what appears to be yet another case of domestic violence, a man from the Manavhela area died after allegedly being stabbed to death by his girlfriend.
The victim, 47-year-old Musundwa Mathelemusa, was found dead on Monday (9 December) by a neighbour who went to investigate after hearing the couple fighting the previous day at the girlfriend's house in Tshikwarani.
Vhembe police spokesperson W/O Vuledzani Dathi confirmed the incident, stating that a case of murder had been opened. According to Dathi, the suspect, the deceased's girlfriend, allegedly argued with Mathelemusa, which escalated into a fight and ended with her stabbing him in the head, resulting in his death. "We were alerted to the incident by community members. The suspect has been arrested, and investigations are ongoing," he said.
Dathi urged couples experiencing difficulties in their relationships to seek help from elders or counsellors to prevent such tragedies.
The deceased's uncle, Mr. Chipa Mathelemusa, expressed the family's grief over his death. He said that the deceased had been in a toxic relationship with his girlfriend. "They were always fighting. He wanted to end the relationship many times, but she refused," he said.
At the time of publication, the suspect had not yet appeared in court. Mathelemusa will be laid to rest at the Manavhela local cemetery on Sunday, 15 December.