A foreman at a borehole company, Mr Sonnyboy Nkosi (40), was allegedly hacked to death with a spade at Muduluni village on Saturday (17/03).

The station commissioner of the Tshilwavhusiku SAPS, Lt-Col Freddy Shirinda, said that an argument had allegedly broken out between Nkosi and another man and that the suspect had hit Nkosi several times on the head with a spade.

Shirinda said that the suspect had allegedly chased the deceased and poured a flammable liquid over him. Members of the community, however, responded very quickly and prevented the suspect from setting fire to the badly injured man.

The suspect was arrested on the spot, and when the ambulance arrived, Nkosi was already dead.

The suspect, Mashele Zimbudzana (26), appeared in the Tshilwavhusiku Magistrate's Court on Monday and the case was postponed to 2 April for a bail application.

According to the grieving wife, Ms Joyce Ramarope, Nkosi's untimely death had robbed the family of a good person. "The incident has left our family traumatised and it will take a long time and specialised counseling for us to recover fully." She expressed her appreciation to all the members of the community, and especially the pastors in the area, who supported them during the past week.

Nkosi is survived by his parents, wife and four children, all of whom are still at school. The funeral will take place at the Tshikhwani Cemetery.