Murderer must ‘rot in jail’ – family of slain mom and daughter
The family of the late Edzisani Muvhulawa (54) and her 90-year-old mother Mudzunga says they hope and trust that the law will take its course and the 23-year-old accused will rot in jail.
LIMPOPO – Emotions ran high at the funeral of the late Edzisani Muvhulawa (54) and her 90-year-old mother Mudzunga on Friday. Edzisani was buried in Lunungwi village graveyard, while granny Mudzunga was buried in Duthuni village’s sacred place (Zwiendeulu).
The two women were murdered in their four-room home in Lunungwi village outside Thohoyandou on 16 August. Their bodies were found by neighbours, who were called by Edzisani’s daughter, Tshifhiwa Muvhulawa, who became concerned after trying to call her mother several times with no answer.
Tshifhiwa works in Musina and stays in touch with her grandmother and mother regularly.During the funeral, Tshifhiwa described her mother as a caring and loving woman, who raised her children with love and respect.”I never heard in the village that my mother fought with anybody. I will miss her voice and advice as the caring single parent she was. I used to call both my mother and granny to find out about their well-being, while I was working away from home, but I became worried after many unsuccessful calls I made to my mother. I then called the neighbour to go and check on them, and this is when they were found in a pool of blood,” she said.
She added that she would be pleased if the accused could rot in jail, because he took her loved ones away from her. Family representative, Tshilidzi Themeli said the family was still saddened by the matter and their last hope was for the law to take its course.
Edzisani is survived by two children, Tshifhiwa and Humbulani.
Read more: Mother and daughter found in a pool of blood in suspected witchcraft related murder
A 23-year-old man was arrested and charged with two counts of murder on Monday, 17 August and appeared in the Thohoyandou Magistrate’s Court the Wednesday. He remains in police custody and the case was postponed to 20 November for further police investigation.
It is alleged the suspect had accused the woman of bewitching him and preliminary investigations revealed that the motive for the killings could be witchcraft related. After his arrest the community reacted by attacking his brother and setting the suspect’s family house alight on Tuesday, 18 August. Five suspects aged between 23 and 38 were apprehended by the Thohoyandou police.
Limpopo Police Spokesperson, Brig Motlafela Mojapelo said the suspects will face two counts of arson and a case of assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm. The suspects appeared before the Thohoyandou Magistrate’s Court on Monday and their case was postponed to 26 August.
