MASISI – When the ageing Rhina Nguluvhe (65) from Malale Village went fishing in the Limpopo River with her friend last Thursday, little did she know that she would meet a violent death.

According to the police, at about 16:00, she was attacked by a hippopotamus. She died at the scene, said the SAPS spokesperson in the Vhembe Area, Supt Ailwei Mushavhanamadi. Her friend, who escaped the attack without injuries, screamed for help to community members who immediately informed the Masisi SAPS. On their arrival, however, they found that Ms Nguluvhe was already dead.

Mushavhanamadi appealed to community members to refrain from fishing in the dangerous Limpopo River. He said that, while the police investigations are continuing, the Masisi Police have opened an inquest docket following the death of the granny.

In another sensational case involving grannies, a special operational team of the SAPS in the Mopane area have traced the suspects who allegedly committed rape, arson and murder at Green Farm in the Malamulele area and arrested two men last Thursday.

On Monday, Thomas Mathonsi (28) and Livingstone Maluleke (25) briefly appeared in the Malamulele Magistrate’s Court on charges of arson, murder and rape. The two are linked to the brutal attack on two grannies at Green Farm village. The late Mrs Nyanisi Chauke (78) was burnt to death, when her house was set on fire while she was sleeping. Another pensioner, Mrs Madzivhandlela Manganyi (87) died in the local hospital after sustaining serious injuries to the chest and head during an attack.

The two were not granted bail and are in custody. They will appear in court again on August 2.

According to Mopani SAPS spokesperson Capt Moatshe Ngoepe, the police acted on information they received from the community when they arrested Mathonsi and Maluleke. “We are encouraging our community members to continue with their outstanding co-operation in combating criminal activities in our areas. Without them, we would still have been looking for these criminals, so we urge them to continue working with us,” he said.

The two grannies were buried over the past weekend at the Green Farm graveyard.