Many people are losing their lives to ritual murder practices in the Vhembe area. Now the question remains – how many more must die as a result of ritual murder? How many will lose their lives to this barbaric practice in future?

The death of Maanda Sendeza, a promising soccer star of Makonde Village, uncovered many mysterious cases of ritual murders which remain unsolved.

According to the document prepared by the inhabitants of Thengwe, which is in possession of Limpopo Mirror, they want the Thohoyandou Serious Crime Investigating Unit to be deployed in their area, to review the following outstanding alleged ritual murder cases: Mbulaheni Bele of Vuvha Village, Nambeni Netshisaulu (Thengwe), Samson Mukosi, Phanuel Makhado (Lukau), Edward Rambofheni (Lukau), Thidziambi Masevhe (Thengwe), Adziambei Mudzielwana, Wilson Ndou, Phillip Sigodi, Maria Maluta (a female only known as Nyamuneiwa of Thengwe), four children from Mafukani and a 40-year-old male have all been discovered with missing body parts at Mafukani.

The Makonde community urged the police to arrest other known suspects who are also involved in the ritual killing of Maanda Sendedza. They also demanded that the case of the late Goya Rambofheni, who was found hanging from a tree in October 2001, at Makonde, should be reviewed and those who are suspected of murdering him for muti purposes be arrested and charged.

They also demanded that the case of a young girl, Ndidzulafhi Rasalanavho, who was found hanging from a tree in 1997, should be reviewed and the people who were allegedly behind her suspected ritual murder be arrested and charged. They further sent a strong warning to the SAPS to take their demands more seriously, failing which, more mass action would follow.

Four traditional healers have been charged with ritual murder and they are presently in custody. Their bail applications continue in the Thohoyandou and Mutale Magistrate’s courts. They are Shumani Dzebu (31) of Muledzhi, Mukondeleli Phosha (54) of Tshidzini, Tshimomo Munyai of Tshandama and Balanganani Munyai (84) of Khubvi. All are linked to a separate incident, the murder of a 40-year-old man of Mafukani, whose head, legs and ribs were missing. They cooperated with the police and retrieved the missing body parts at Tshidzini, on the banks of the Ngwedi River. Dzebu and Phosha are again implicated in the ritual murder and attempted murder cases, after they were allegedly found in possession of the late Maanda Sendedza’s missing private parts, tongue, clothes and cell phone. They were also allegedly found in possession of the surviving Nyelisani Sidimela’s removed lips.

After the brutal death of Maanda Sendedza and the arrest of the four traditional healers, community members and various institutions participated in a number of demonstrations to oppose bail and to beg the justice system to give the ritual murder suspects life sentences. They also urged the police to arrest and charge all suspects linked to the ritual murder cases in the Vhembe area.

Supt Ailwei Mushavhanamadi of the Vhembe police said the police are working around the clock to bring the ritual murder perpetrators to book. He said police investigations are continuing in various cases and urged the community to provide the police with information to make the investigations easier. He appreciated the cooperation from the community which led to the brake through in the arrest of the suspects in the ritual murder cases which are currently under investigation.