A 20-year-old young man is in hiding after surviving, what he describes, as certain death at the hands of well-known community members at Tshisahulu last Friday.

Funani Tshifaro of Tshisahulu-Mahunguwe outside Thohoyandou said he survived an ordeal that lasted more than six hours. His friend, Tshilidzi Tshilate (27), was not that lucky as he died while allegedly being interrogated and tortured. It is a common fact that the community regards them as criminals who were suspected of being responsible for many of the bad things that happened in the village.

Speaking from his hide-out, Tshifaro said he felt helpless and not secure as some of those who had assaulted him and killed Tshilidzi were still roaming the streets. The heavily bandaged Tshifaro, who is nursing gaping wounds to the head, a broken hand and legs, said he feared for his safety. “I am not safe here; these people can do anything to me. They have the capability to kill and what can stop them from doing it to me?” he asked.

“Only yesterday I met one of them, and he tried to sweet talk me into reaching an amicable solution. I did not know what he meant. Do you think an amicable solution could be reached after a life has been lost? This is a way of intimidating me not to give evidence in court.”

Tshifaro said he has the feeling that they can make him disappear in order to silence him as a key witness in the case. “I need a safe house before I get killed also. These people are well off and they could do whatever possible to evade prison,” he said. Tshifaro said as long as some of them were still roaming the streets, he would never be safe. “Let them arrest all these thugs who beat us for nothing and put them in jail forever. I just wish they are not granted bail,” he said.

Tshifaro said they were enjoying their beer at a local tavern when all hell broke loose. “What surprised me throughout the ordeal was that I was being forced to confess something I knew nothing about and was being linked to somebody who is not even my friend.” He said they were hanged upside down and badly beaten while their assailants were enjoying a braai. “I only survived when they ran out of beer and decided to lock us up in different places. I was lucky to have been locked up with a person who allowed me out and I ran away in pain in the early hours of Saturday.

The dead man’s parents, Solomon and Sarah Tshilate, are both not working. “Our son had recently started working for a construction company at the local school. We had thought life would change for the better with his providing for the family,” said his grieving father, Solomon. He said he was worried that all the suspects are respected community members who know about the law. “Why did they not arrest them if they were found stealing? They are taking advantage of us as they know we are poor and we cannot afford expensive lawyers. Who knows, you might find them roaming the streets tomorrow. They have all the money and they can buy anything,” said the sad mother.