There is light at the end of the tunnel for the seven children of ritual murder victim Shonisani Thinandavha of Mulodi village.

Their heartbreaking story has touched the heart of the well-known Limpopo community builder, Goddard Mugwena (44), the founder and managing director of Pragmatic Centre for Science and Technology and Injectmed Paramedic College.

Shonisani Thinandavha’s mutilated body was discovered at Mulodi Mountain after she disappeared. Her upper lip, right hand palm, left ear and the front part of her breasts had been sliced off. She was naked from the waist down and a rope was tied around her neck.

When the children’s mother died last year, Mugwena donated R3 000 to the family and pledged to contribute R850 towards the maintenance of the children for a period of one year, amounting to a contribution of more than R10 000. Although the period of one year expired in July this year, Mugwena said he would continue paying the money to the family because he felt that there was still a need to change the lives of the children.

On Sunday, Mugwena invited the seven kids to spend a day with him at his family house in Muledane, in a bid to comfort them and give them courage to go on with life because he regards them as his own children.

He continued: "I felt that if I stopped assisting the family because my pledge had expired, I would be doing an injustice to these children who must enjoy life like anyone of us. This does not necessarily mean that I have a lot of money, but I have a duty to assist with the little that I have, for the sake of community development. I therefore urge other community members to follow suit because indigent people did not choose to be what they are. It is our collective duty to make sure that children are nurtured to be future responsible leaders. I am not even related to the family, but I am doing this whole-heartedly out of my own free will. These children need to be comforted, so that they may leave everything behind and face the future with pride."

The eldest of the seven children, Tshifhiwa Thinandavha, thanked Mugwena for his generosity. "It is very difficult to find someone like him, especially these days, when wealthy people think only of themselves. This man is an angel from God and we will never forget him as long as we live. We are very thankful for his kind heart and believe that other people will learn from him."

The boy says he wants to become a policeman so that he can help solve crimes in this country, especially ritual murder. "The case of my murdered mother does not have any direction and this has prompted me to consider a career in the police force so that I may help to solve these ritual murder cases."