The Vuwani Magistrate’s Court has postponed the controversial public violence case of more than 90 residents of Ha-Mashau Tshirando to December 8, this year.

Mirror learnt that, after a memorial service to mourn the death of Mr Itani John Phosa on September 8, tension ran high amongst the villagers, who resorted to taking the law into their hands. It is alleged that a group of angry villagers went to the main suspect´s home and destroy his property.

In reaction to the alleged rampage, the police later arrived during the funeral service at the bereaved family’s home and began arresting people, amongst them the bereaved family´s relatives from Johannesburg and Mpumalanga. It is alleged that the police were arresting anybody they deemed fit at the funeral service, on the street and at a local liquor store.

Through reliable sources amongst Tshirando residents, Mirror discovered that more than 90 people were arrested and spent the weekend in the Vuwani SAPS holding cells. As a result, they never attended the funeral service of the late Mr Phosa. Upon their release at the Vuwani magistrate’s court on September 11 this year, the detainees were charged with public violence.

Amongst the people who were arrested was Mr Muthathe, a primary school educator at Majosi. He was arrested on Friday, September 8, on his arrival from work. He was accused of calling an illegal gathering (memorial service) as well as leading angry villagers to damage the house of the main suspect. While his co-accused were released on a warning, Muthathe was granted R3 000 bail.

As no suspect has been arrested yet for allegedly ritually killing Mr Itani John Phosa, villagers are still blaming the police for dragging their feet in arresting the alleged suspects. The main suspect was described to Mirror as a close relative of the muti-murdered victim.

The late Mr John Phosa disappeared on August 27, while going to visit his sisters at Chabane village. After five days, his mutilated body was discovered floating in a dam at Makhado, but with some missing body parts. An autopsy conducted by the principal forensic pathologist, Dr BL Bhootra of Polokwane revealed that his tongue, lips, chin, ears and ear-drums had been cut off. Mr Phosa was laid to rest at Chabane cemetery on Sunday, September 10.