In yet another shocking and brutal murder, a 42-year-old resident of Thohoyandou was shot execution style in Miluwani.
Mr. Davy Mathoho, who is also a well-known pastor in the area, was killed when a dozen bullets from a high-calibre firearm and a pistol were pumped into his body. The incident happened at Miluwani Unit C Zwinarini, just outside Thohoyandou on Monday (7 August) at about 19:50.
Mathoho's death adds to an alarming number of murders in the area where guns were used and nothing was taken from the victims. On 21 June this year, the 26-year-old Mr. Rolivhuwa Tshivhase of Muledane was shot at his business at Golgotha in Thohoyandou. Nothing was taken from him, and his killer is still at large.
Last Saturday (5 August), a 29-year-old businessman, Mr. Rudzani Victor Nemahagala, was shot dead at Tshikhudini just outside Thohoyandou. His murder is believed to have been a hit as his wallet with money, his cellphones, and his gun were left intact.
Vhembe SAPS's acting spokesperson, Sergeant Vuledzani Dathi, said that in the case of Mr. Mathoho, he had apparently been on his way back from a friend's house in the area when he had met his attackers, who had shot him several times all over the body. Dathi said that 12 empty cartridges from an R4 rifle and a 9mm pistol had been found at the scene.
"We have since opened a murder docket," he said. The police are appealing to anyone with information to contact their nearest police station.
The chairperson of the local civic association, who is also a ward committee member, Ms. Rejoice Makhanthisa, said she was still in shock as she had known Mathoho very well. She explained that, on Monday afternoon, they were visiting a family in the area whose house had burnt down. At about 19:00, the lights went off as a result of load shedding. "Out of nowhere, we heard gunshots, and as it was dark, we all ran to our homes. It was while I was at home that I decided to phone Mathoho to find out if he was safe, but his phone rang unanswered," she said.
Makhanthisa said that she had then decided to drive back, only to find her colleague dead in the street. "It is so painful to lose such a leader who would stand his ground when it came to community development. He was a hard worker who put people first. We are all in mourning here, and his leadership will be missed," she said.