The chief executive officer (CEO) of Tshilidzini Hospital, Mr Magwedzha Mphaphuli, has pledged financial support for the family of a ritual murder victim of Mulodi village, in the Mutale area.

Mphaphuli will assist the Thinandavha family with a total amount of R12 000, which will be payable to them in installments of R500 per month for a period of two years. The pledge will be reviewed after each two years, depending on the needs of the family.

The mutilated body of Shonisani Thinandavha (38) was found at Mulodi Mountain last year. Her upper lip, right hand palm, left ear and the front part of her breasts were sliced off. She was naked from the waist down and a rope was tied around her neck. She left behind seven kids, including a seven-month-old baby, when she was brutally murdered.

The deceased’s common law husband and father of her kids, Ndivhudzannyi Reckson Thinandavha (42), was arrested for the murder, but he was later released because DNA results could not link him with the incident.

When addressing family members during his visit to the family last week, Mphaphuli said he was highly touched by the gruesome death of the responsible mother who sold fire wood to support her seven kids. He said he wanted to make a contribution so that the kids could have a bright future, even though their caring hand is gone forever. "The fact that I am pledging to assist this family financially does not necessarily mean that I have a lot of money. The new government has gained political freedom, but we still have to win the war against poverty. I am not doing this for name or fame, but I want to encourage other community members to engage themselves in helping the indigent, who need assistance to survive."

The mayor of Mutale Municiplality, Cllr Lucas Manyuha, passed his gratitude to Mphaphuli for his sympathetic feeling for the indigent members of the community. "We are very impressed and we hope this will be a challenge to other people out there. This is one of the biggest contributions ever made to this family, especially when one looks at the term of the pledge and that the money comes from an individual, not a company. Mphaphuli is one of the great freedom fighters and he has set a very good example for the rest of us."

Family representative, Maria Hamisi, who looks after the seven children of the deceased, did not have enough words to thank Mphaphuli for his generosity. "He is one in a million and he deserves to be praised for his kind heart."