The Mutale Magistrate’s Court nearly turned into a war zone when hundreds of angry demonstrators bayed for the blood of three suspects who are believed to have taken part in the brutal murder of Tendani Baloyi (39) of Tshilavulu village, near Tshilamba. Eric Takalani Ramagoma (21), Charles Mutetwa (24) and Ndivhuwo Lawrence Nemaxwi (24) briefly appeared before a fully packed court on Friday.

The deceased was a dedicated single parent who worked hard to support her six children, the youngest being two years old. On 12 October last year, she went to work and never came back. Her family was surprised to learn that she did not return from work while efforts to call her on her phone remained fruitless because it was off air.

She was gang-raped before she was brutally murdered and her body was later discovered at her vegetable garden near the Mutale River. A tablecloth had been placed in her mouth and her hands had been tied behind her back, while her underwear had been cut off with a knife and placed next to her lifeless body.

Maria worked as a general worker for the Mutale Delmon Green Company, a producer of flowering plants based at Makonde-Shadani, and she was due to be promoted to a senior position when she was murdered. She was a member of the Apostolic Unity Church.

The cat came out of the bag when one of the suspects, Charles Mutetwa, was found in possession of the cell phone of the deceased, a Nokia 1100. Mutetwa, a Zimbabwean national, claimed that the phone was sold to him by his co-accused, Takalani Ramagoma and Ndivhuwo Nemaxwi, both of whom stay at Vondwe village, north of Thohoyandou. This led to the arrest of Ramagoma and Nemaxwi.

Magistrate TM Mathivha postponed the matter to 30 April for further investigation, while the three will remain in custody.

One of the suspects, Takalani Ramagoma, surprisingly told the court: "I was in jail, arrested for another offence, when the deceased was murdered. I know nothing about this matter and I request the court to set me free."

"You are facing very serious charges. Today we are here to postpone the case for further investigations and we are not going deep into the merits thereof. Police are still busy with their investigations and charges will only be dropped against you if your innocence is proved," said magistrate Mathivha.

The murdered woman’s daughter, Shudufhadzo Baloyi (22), said she would never rest until the killers of her mother had been brought to book. "We are only waiting for the law to take its course although I know that my mother will never come back. The killers must rot in jail because what they did is cruelty at its worst."