LIMPOPO: Dismembered body of missing man found along river bank
The body of Steven Plalanndwa was discovered last Thursday near the banks of the Luvuvhu River near Ha-Tshikonelo village outside Thohoyandou.
LIMPOPO – The remains of the man believed to have gone missing on 28 March and in terms of whose disappearance a local chief and another person were charged were discovered in Ha-Tshikonelo village outside Thohoyandou on 1 July, by two women fetching wood in a nearby veld.
Community leader, Sipho Masia said the body of Steven Plalanndwa was found near the banks of the Luvuvhu River.
“We managed to go to the scene with members of the community and his family members. We found him decapitated. We also discovered that his body was covered in acid and it was difficult to identify which parts were missing,” said Masia.
According to Masia, angry residents from Ha-Tshikonelo and surrounding villages, Basani and Tshaulu blocked the road to and from the village and gathered in large numbers at the Thohoyandou Magistrate’s Court last Monday, threatening to take the law into their own hands and burn to death the traditional leader, Chief Mudzulathungo Nelson Mmbi (66) and his co-accused, Shumani Luvhengo (33) should they be given bail.
Villagers accused police of dragging their feet in arresting suspects of ritual murders as they have 13 cases that have not been resolved.
A month ago, unknown people set alight the eight roomed house belonging to Mmmbi, accusing him of kidnapping. It was also reported that the bakery and library were set alight in the village.
Another victim, Lucas Mbedzi (34) from Tshikonelo village had on 19 April been seen at a local tavern and later woke up in the bushes. Police suspect that he might have been drugged somehow and taken there.
Mbedzi alleged to have seen Mmbi and Luvhengo on the scene and heard one of them saying he was not the person they were looking for and that they should let him go.
Limpopo Police Spokesperson, Brigadier Motlafela Mojapelo confirmed that police in Tshaulu discovered the body of man in Ha-Tshikonelo, adding that the community identified him as a man reported to have been missing months ago.
However, Mojapelo warned communities from taking law into their own hands and urged them to allow police to conduct their investigation. “For now, we are unable to link the two incidents,” he said.
According to Mojapelo, Mbedzi managed to escape and a case was opened at the Tshaulu Police Station. The two men were arrested shortly afterwards.
