Bodies of missing man and woman found in shallow graves

LIMPOPO – The Community of Sinthumule area saw two bodies discovered in shallow graves in the last month.

The bodies of a man and a woman were exhumed at different locations on January 29 at Gogobole and Rathidili (Tshikhwani).

Provincial police spokesperson Brig Motlafela Mojapelo said that the woman, 33, went missing almost a year ago, while the man was reported missing in July.

Mojapelo said the woman apparently left home in Sekonye Village in Botlokwa, headed for Louis Trichardt.

“Investigations revealed she was kidnapped by suspects who tortured her, killed her and buried her in a shallow grave after she reportedly refused to surrender a property in Makhado which was initially used as a brothel.”

Mojapelo said the man, aged 40, became a victim of vigilantism when he was kidnapped from his home at Madombidzha Zone on July 4, after he was accused of stealing copper cables.

“The probe revealed that the victims were buried in shallow graves at Rathidili (Tshikhwani) and Gogobole villages.”

He said five members of a group who terrorised the community were arrested.

Five members of the Western Vhukovhela unit were arrested during a multidisciplinary, intelligence-driven operation by the Vhembe Trio Task team, the Makhado CI and the Beitbridge Task Team between October 26-28.

They were charged with kidnapping, assault and attempted murder.

Members of the Western Vhukovhela unit are accused of first starting to conduct their own “law-enforcement” raids.

They confronted several “crime suspects” in the area and allegedly beat up young boys and men accused of committing crimes with sticks and sjamboks.

The members, however, allegedly became so brazen that they started to film some of these assaults and posting them on social media platforms.

Some of the goods that were stolen were returned to residents, but many residents started to become suspicious when the organisation launched a campaign to collect R10 per month from each household to help pay for their protection against criminals.

Some residents opted to pay “protection” money, while others refused.

The ones who refused to pay claim they were told to pay R300 upfront before they could get any assistance from the organisation.

But soon, people started to accuse the Western Vhukovhela members of being behind the crimes in their area.

The five suspects appeared in Tshilwavhusiku on February 1 on two counts of murder and kidnapping and their cases postponed to February 6 for further investigation.

The Chief of Tshikhwani, Mbulaheni Ramabulana said the communities were traumatised by recent events.