Residents of Itsani and the surrounding villages believe that a serial killer could be on the loose in the area. This follows the discovery of the body of a woman, aged 22, who was found floating in a dam last Monday.
The circumstances leading to her death and subsequent discovery at the dam are still sketchy.
At least five bodies have so far been found dumped at different locations around the village. This led residents of the village to believe that a serial killer targeting young women could be on the loose in the area. Those targeted are alleged to have been raped before they were killed and dumped.
A fortnight ago, the semi-naked body of a young woman was found in an irrigation ditch next to the Matieni irrigation scheme. She seemed to have been raped before she was thrown in the furrow as her lower body was naked and she had serious head injuries.
She was identified as Thilivhali Mandiwana (26), who had a history of disappearing from home with friends and spending days away.
Last Monday, the community of Itsani was once again in shock, when the body of another young woman was found in a disused dam in the middle of the village. She is believed to have been killed somewhere else and dumped in the dam. She was also semi-naked as she was left wearing only her panties, red shoes and a brown top. There were no signs of injuries and she was later identified as Thalukanyo Lambani (22) of Thohoyandou P East.
According to information at our disposal, she was last seen drinking with friends at some local taverns. It is alleged that, at the close of business, she got a lift and that was the last time she was seen alive.
Many voiced concerns that the killing of women in the area might be a clear signal that a serial killer is at work in the area. Some say that a wealthy businessman could be behind the luring of the women for sexual favours and that he ends up killing them and dumping them in the village.
“We are having a big problem here. Day in and day out, bodies are found in this area and it seems that women are being targeted. We are becoming very suspicious that a serial killer could be on the loose here. The modus operandi used looks the same here and mostly our sisters are victims. Why should people lose their lives this way while we fold our arms and look on? We should all stand up and hunt the killers until they are exposed and do not have any place to hide in this village,” said an angry community member, who preferred anonymity.
Thohoyandou police spokesperson Major Mashudu Malelo discounted the serial killer possibility, saying the incidents were not the same. "We cannot say that there is a serial killer at this stage, but this might become apparent as investigations continue."
On Friday, rumours started doing the rounds that the suspect in the cases had been arrested. This raised the hopes of bereaved families of the victims, who had hoped for closure in the murders of their loved ones. On Tuesday, however, word spread that the case had not even gone to court and the suspect had been freed. This did not go down well with members of the community, who vowed at one stage “to sort out” whoever was responsible for the murders at Itsani.
Ms Thihangwi Lambani, the mother of Thalukanyo, said her daughter used to disappear and come back after some time, but she did not want to see her die the way she did. “We were happy to hear that a suspect had been arrested, but now that he had been let free, we do not feel safe and we feel the law is not just at all. We are putting everything in the hands of God, who will take care of the situation," she said.
Police spokesperson Major Mashudu said there had been some technicalities that had led to the freeing of the suspect. "This does not mean that the case is over. We have forensic experts who are dealing with evidence that could be linked to him or any other suspect, and people should just be patient for investigations to run smoothly," he said.
Also read:
03 October 2014 - Fourth body dumped at Itsani
