Community members of the Mavhunga Kokwane Village in the Dzanani area are still shocked, following the death of a 72-year-old man whose burnt body was found inside his one-roomed shack last Saturday.

According to the police report, Mr Titus Tshishonga´s lifeless body was recovered at about 7:00 on Saturday morning. What is really surprising is the fact that when the neighbours were interviewed, they indicated that they had not heard anything. To their shock they woke up the next morning to find the burnt-out shack next door. Though the incident seemed to have happened on Friday night, no one was willing to give evidence to the police. Tshishong was staying alone in the shack.

However, on Monday last week, the police arrested four suspects, the Netshituka brothers, Mashango (19), Tsumbedzo Mavhunga (18) and two youths, in connection with the incident. The four suspects briefly appeared before the Dzanani Magistrate Court last Wednesday, where the case was postponed to September 18.

The spokesperson for the Mphephu SAPS, Insp Lazarus Netshidzati, confirmed the incident and said it had occurred between Friday night and Saturday. “Community members alerted us to the incident on Saturday morning,” he said. “A murder case was opened and the investigations are continuing,” said Netshidzati.

Other community members who spoke to Mirror allege that Tshishonga might have been ritually murdered. “Something fishy might have happened to the old man. He was such a good person, very loyal to the community. We believe that whoever has done it will pay before the eyes of the Lord. They killed a poor man who never fought with anybody in the village,” they said.

Netshidzati, however, dismissed the allegations that the deceased had been ritually murdered. “The post mortem and police investigations will determine the cause of death and what might have really happened,” he said.

Netshidzati further warned the community members to stop spreading allegations that the deceased was murdered for ritual purposes. He urged community members to furnish the police with information at all times. “Working together, we can achieve more. We are appealing to community members to use our suggestion boxes that we have erected in all the villages of our policing area. Community members are afraid to give us information, so they must use the suggestion boxes,” said Netshidzati.

Tshishonga was laid to rest at the Mavhunga cemetery last Saturday.