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Nefale's coffin is take off the hearse after arriving from the mortuary.

Pupil killed in cold blood

 

Fulufhelo "Muvenda" Nefale of Itsani outside Thohoyandou looked forward to ushering the new year, just like all his friends. The 18-year-old Grade 12 learner at Shayandima Secondary School was also looking forward to getting his examination results.

Nefale, who subsequently got a certificate pass, did not live to see either as he was brutally killed in the early hours of the new year. He was having fun at the local bottle store when, allegedly without provocation, the killers pounced and stabbed him, killing him in cold blood.

Nefale's death was the second brutal murder in the area, with another local boy killed on Christmas Day. There were also other unreported acts of crime in the area.

Nefale was a well-known footballer and played for Itsani United, an affiliate of the SAB league in Vhembe. He was given a fitting funeral at the weekend. Learners in uniform and players from his team served as pall bearers and guard of honour. He was buried at the local cemetery.

Speakers at the funeral spoke out against the rampant crime in the area. Veteran musician Bishop Roxley Masevhe, who conducted the funeral, said people had turned against God and that was the reason why they no longer valued life. He urged residents to go back to God and the killings would stop.

Thulamela Ward 36 councillor Mr Tshililo Nemalegeni said deaths in his ward were robbing the country of future leaders. "In a short space of time we have lost many young people who we had thought would be part of the developmental process in the area. We are greatly saddened that they had to lose their lives in the most horrible and barbaric way.”

Representing the players of Itsani United, their captain, Elijah Makhavhu, said they could honour the late Nefale by winning the league. A soccer game in Nefale's honour was played during the week.

Community leader Johannes Khambane said they had to restrain angry residents from attacking identified criminals in the area. "There is a lot of criminality here and people are angry. They have given out warnings to all the identified criminals and hopefully crime will come to a halt in the village," he said.

News - Date: 16 January 2017

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Killed in cold blood - Fulufhelo Nefale, who was stabbed to death on New Year's Day.

 

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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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