Chaos reigned in Ha-Mashau village on Sunday night when angry community members set alight a house, five cars, a shop and a bar lounge. The property and vehicles belong to two businessmen whom community members suspect of murdering two people over the past few months.

The fracas apparently started shortly after the discovery of the body of a man last Friday (9th). The man had disappeared a week earlier and his family, friends and neighbours searched all over for him. Some of the residents immediately deducted that he was the victim of a ritual killing when his body was found.

On Sunday, the community started blocking the main road from Mashau to Bungeni. As if a spell were cast on them, residents ran amok, barricading streets with burning tyres. It is alleged that, during the riots, some people took advantage of the situation and looted the shop, which is in the village, almost cleaning it out. They allegedly also damaged the main gate to the home of Mr Bethuel Mudzanani before burning down the house, the bar lounge and two cars. The crowd then vented their anger on the property of Mr Monus Sihongo and burned down his shop and three cars.

Cases of arson, public violence and malicious damage to property were later opened with the police. The police reacted and arrested 12 people during their raid on Sunday night, following the violence.

The spokesperson for the Levubu police, W/O Solly Mukhola, appealed to members of the community not to take the law into their own hands. He said that the police must be allowed to do their jobs without any interference from the community.

Chief Vho-Thavha Mashau called for calm in the village and requested the community members who might have information regarding the case to contact the police.

According to one of the victims of the violence, Mr Bethuel Mudzanani, everything inside the house was burnt to ashes. “Clothes, beds, blankets, identity documents and bank cards, the stove, fridge and all furniture were burnt to ashes,” he said. The fire also damaged the roof and the walls of the house. According to Mr Mudzanani, the damage to his property is estimated to be more than R2,6 million.

When Limpopo Mirror visited the village on Monday, a large number of community members were scattered all over the streets. The Levubu police kept an eye on the situation from a short distance.

Those who had been arrested during the violent protest had not yet appeared in court at the time of going to press.