Limpopo Premier Mr Sello Moloto says people who murder others for muti purposes deserve to be totally removed from the community, prosecuted and given long sentences behind bars. He was speaking to hundreds of mourners during the emotional funeral service of the latest ritual murder victim, Shonisani Thinandavha (38) of Mulodi village, outside Thohoyandou, on Saturday.

Her mutilated body was discovered at Mulodi Mountain last Sunday, with her upper lip, right hand’s palm, left ear and the front part of her breasts sliced off. Her body was naked from the waist down and a rope was tied around her neck.

Moloto said the government is equally concerned about the ritual killings which have turned Vhembe into a slaughter house. “Enough is enough and we want to warn the ritual murderers that their days are numbered. As a government, we have an obligation to make sure that everyone is safe and we cannot tolerate a situation where people are butchered mercilessly on a daily basis. It becomes very difficult to accept deaths of this nature because the person did not even become sick. Your pain is our pain because one death is a death too many. The fact that the deceased left behind young kids makes it very difficult for everyone to accept this brutal death. The family must know that the government is on their side during these sad times and we are doing our best to have the perpetrators apprehended.…”

Moloto added that the government has established a task team to deal with the 50 unresolved ritual murder cases dating back from 1994. He appealed to community members to cooperate with the task team for successful prosecution. “Although it would take a bit of time for the task team to complete its task, we believe there will be a major breakthrough, provided they are given information by community members. They need to study each file thoroughly to see if there are gaps that can lead to new evidence. We understand that everyone is angry, but we humbly request you to be patient until the task team has completed its task.”

Limpopo’s MEC for Safety, Security and Liaison, Samson Ndou, said everything will be done to hunt down the people who killed Shonisani for muti purposes. He lashed out at corrupt police officers who protect ritual murderers and waste government resources for their own benefit while they render no service to the community. He further encouraged community members to talk openly if they know something about these escalating ritual murder cases, so that the perpetrators can be brought to book.

Dean Alunamutwe Rannditsheni of the South African Council of Churches conducted a sermon before Shonisani was finally laid to rest at Mulodi graveyard. He said Shonisani was murdered by cruel people who do not have respect for human life. “Everyone of us, including Shonisani, loves life and that is why she went to the mountain to fetch fire wood. She wanted to improve life for her family because she sold the fire wood for survival. The eyes of God have looked these ritual murderers angrily and they will obviously pay their dues when the time comes. God gave us our beloved Shonisani, but the ritual murderers have taken her precious life away.”