Shot in cold blood

A very poor family at Tshidimbini outside Thohoyandou was dealt a fatal blow when the breadwinner was shot and killed in cold blood.

A man from Rutanga in Zimbabwe (his name is being witheld to protect the identity of his wife), his wife and young son were asleep when they were attacked in the early hours of Monday.

The shooting is the continuation of shooting incidents that have become a common feature in the Vhembe region. Only a fortnight ago, a man was shot execution style in broad daylight at a stop sign in Thohoyandou. Last week, another man was executed at Tshixwadza.

In the latest incident, the family believe the killing was to avenge  a grudge that started last year. The couple was asleep at around 02:00 when the wife heard a loud noise, and when she awoke, saw that her husband was covered in blood.

According to her, a man was pointing a gun at her, ordering her not to scream but to come out of the house through the window. She said she obliged and was repeatedly raped by the two suspects, who then took her cell phone. They then shot the bleeding man in the head.

Limpopo Mirror visited the grief-stricken family and found the whole family around a burning log that gave warmth to the poor family. On entering the household, one is met with signs of extreme poverty.

The deceased was the sole breadwinner. His wife narrated the shocking story. “I am not shy to speak, because I want the world to know the plight of women, especially rural, unemployed and defenceless women  in this country. I count myself lucky, but my dignity has been eroded. The killing of my husband is one of the brutalities that I will not forget."

She said that he was killed in cold blood, "like an animal and the killer just wanted to make sure that he was dead. We are left with no one to care for me and our young son".

She said after her husband was shot, she was  forced out of the house through the window which they had broken open. "The two men tore off my dress and took turns in raping me repeatedly. One spoke Tshivenda and the other one Shona."

The woman said she believed that the incident was a revenge attack. "Last year, our house was burgled and items stolen. My husband was tipped off about the culprits and he confronted them, cutting the hand of one of the attackers." She said that her main worry was that the men were still lingering in the streets "which puts our lives in danger. They might come back to finish us off, so that we cannot give evidence”.

Thohoyandou police spokesperson Major Mashudu Malelo confirmed the incident and said they had opened a murder case. He said that he could not speculate about the motive for the murder and that they were looking for the two men. "We are appealing for information that can assist us in cracking this case. Our investigations are continuing," he said

News - Date: 29 May 2015

Elmon Tshikhudo

Elmon Tshikhudo started off as a photographer. He developed an interest in writing and started submitting articles to local as well as national publications. He became part of the Limpopo Mirror family in 2005 and was a permanent part of the news team until 2019.

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