Three police vehilces were seriously damaged by an angry mob at Ha-Nwaxinyamani Village last Saturday.

On Saturday morning, villagers buried a 26-year-old woman who died a week ago in a car accident, but after the funeral, other relatives who arrived late, requested the deceased’s mother to accompany them to the graveyard in order to see deceased’s grave. It is alleged that, on arrival, they found the deceased’s father and a traditional healer performing some rituals on the deceased's grave.

It is further alleged that a squabble ensued between the grieving parents. According to Supt Ailwei Mushavhanamadi, spokesperson of the SAPS in the Vhembe area, people who were with the bereaved family received information that the deceased had resurrected from the grave and as they rushed to the graveyard to see if the allegations were true, they found the deceased’s parents, together with the traditional healer, in a heated argument.

Mushavhanamadi said that the problem started when the angry mob started assaulting the ageing traditional healer, adding that, when police arrived to maintain the peace, the mob resorted to throwing stones at the police vehicles. “The mob closed the graveyard gate, so that our vehilces could not get out and they were demanding that the traditional healer be handed over to them. “The police fired warning shots after the mob had damaged their three vehicles,” he said. Mushavhanamadi said that 22 suspects were arrested by the Waterval SAPS. He said that when they appeared in the Waterval-Hlanganani Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday, they were each granted R300 bail.