Yet another gang killing

The mafia-type war raging among Vhembe’s gangs seems far from over. In the latest incident, a man was gunned down in broad daylight next to a well-known food outlet in Sibasa.

According to one of the people who were in the vicinity on Tuesday morning (20^th) when the incident occurred, the suspected gunmen parked their car next to a well-known garage, opposite a car wash. They crossed the road towards the car wash, and within minutes, the sound of gunshots rang out. “It was around 13:00, and we all had to dive for cover when the guns started roaring. I will never go near that area again in my life,” he said.

According to the acting communications manager of the SAPS in the Vhembe District, W/O Vuledzani Dathi, the Thohoyandou Police received a report stating that a shooting incident had taken place at Sibasa Badugela Car Wash. He said that, upon their arrival at the crime scene, the police officers had found the body of a male person lying on the ground.

“He was certified dead by EMS personnel at the scene. The deceased’s vehicle was still parked at the car wash. Preliminary investigations reveal that the deceased was shot by four armed men who were driving a white Toyota Etios. Nothing was taken from the deceased, and several empty cartridges were found at the crime scene,” Dathi said. The deceased was identified as Mpho Thabela.

Dathi added that the deceased had been in the company of a male friend, who had also been shot at by the suspects but seemingly managed to escape. The suspects are currently unknown, and police investigations are ongoing.

Thabela is the eighth victim to be killed since the alleged gang killings started in the Vhembe District last year.

News - Date: 23 February 2024

Victor Mukwevho

Victor Mukwevho Ne-vumbani joined the Mirror during it's inception in 1990. He joined the SABC newsroom in 1995, and was known by  listeners as "A u fhedzisela ari". He was a news editor for The Tembisan Newspaper from 2007 to 2015. He rejoined the Limpopo Mirror newspaper in June 2022 as a freelance journalist.

Email: [email protected]