A 33-year-old woman who tried to protect her children from a mentally unstable man paid dearly for her efforts as she was stabbed in the process. She died after fighting for her life for two days at Tshilidzini Hospital.
The incident took place at Madombidzha on Saturday, 4 January. According to a police report, the suspect entered the yard of Ms Eva Ranthangwe and started assaulting the children. Ms Ranthangwe intervened, but the suspect then produced a knife and stabbed her in the stomach. She was rushed to Louis Trichardt Memorial Hospital and later transferred to Tshilidzini Hospital, where she died on 7 January.
The family spokesperson, Ms Shonisani Mathukha, said that they were still in shock from the incident. She said that Ranthangwe had been the breadwinner of the family and left behind five children. "We are devastated. This was completely unexpected," she said.
The suspect apparently has a history of being mentally unstable. Ms Ranthangwe's family were critical of the manner in which his condition was handled by the authorities and believe the death could have been avoided if the authorities had acted in time.
The spokesperson for the police in Vhembe, W/O Vuledzani Dathi, said that the Tshilwavhusiku police had initially opened a case of attempted murder, which had now been changed to a murder charge. The suspect, Calvin Mukwevho (23), appeared in the Tshilwavhusiku Magistrate's Court on 7 January, where the case was postponed to 14 January. He remains in custody as investigations continue.
The family has scheduled her funeral for Sunday, 12 January, in Madombidzha, starting at 06:00. The family members have been receiving support from various women's support organisations but would appreciate any assistance with the burial costs.