Vyeboom residents demand arrest of murder suspect
Naledzani Makhado's remains were found by a cattle herder near the Luvuvhu River in 2023, two years after her disappearance and no arrests have been made for her murder.
LIMPOPO – Residents of Vyeboom in Vuwani have voiced their dissatisfaction with the Vuwani Police Station’s failure to arrest those responsible for the death of Naledzani Makhado.
On April 2, scores of concerned residents took to the streets in a march aimed at delivering a memorandum of grievances to the police station.
The march followed DNA results that were received on March 28 as that of Naledzani Makhado, a counsellor at Kurhuleni Clinic, who went missing on September 10, 2021.
Despite extensive searches by both her family and the police, she was never found and they kept hoping that she would be found alive. A cattle herder, however, discovered her remains, including clothing and a skull near the Luvuvhu River two years later, in September 2023.
A resident who wants to remain anonymous, claimed that the police are protecting the suspect from being arrested.
“It hurts us because tomorrow, my child and I may become victims of crime and the police will not act. We are calling on the MEC to come and address us again, or else, we won’t vote. The police are not doing enough to arrest the suspect(s),” he said.
Among their demands was the urgent arrest of the person they claim who murdered Makhado. In their memorandum, they demand that the investigative officer on the case be replaced.
They handed over the memorandum to Lt Col Livhuwani Mukwevho who promised to escalate the memorandum to the provincial police.
In October, residents met with the MEC for Community Safety, Florence Radzilani and provincial police commissioner, Lt Gen Thembi Hadebe at a time they believed the police would make an arrest. The MEC’s visit aimed to address the dispute emanating from the discovery of incomplete human bones believed to be those of Makhado.
Makondelela Murovhi, the chairperson of the Vyeboom Civic Organisation, said they demand that the police find the head of the deceased. “We vow not to bury her before the suspects are arrested.”
