The Mbaleni family outside Thohoyandou is living in fear. This is after four members of the same family died within a short space of time. All the deaths happened under mysterious circumstances, as some died after short illnesses, whilst unknown people recently killed one of the members.

The deaths have left the family shocked, not knowing what could be behind the deaths and who will be next. Some in the community believe that an evil force is behind the deaths, and that a curse has been cast on the family. The death of Ernest Mukhesa last week Saturday, the fourth member of the family to die, also sent shockwaves through the community, with some calling for a curfew and the early closure of all drinking places in the village.

Mukhesa (28) had been drinking with friends at a local bar that Friday and the drinking went on until the early hours of Saturday. Details of his death are still sketchy, as no one could shed light on what could actually have happened. It is believed that he was on his way home at about three in the morning when he was attacked and stabbed in the chest by unknown assailants. His lifeless body was found sprawled on the tarmac next to the tavern the next morning.

The first member of the family who passed away this year, Masala Mukhesa (26), died in February after a short, but unspecified illness. The family was still mourning the death of their son, when tragedy struck the family again and another son, aged 57, died.

As if that was not enough, in May, the mother of the family, Cecilia Mukhesa (72), also died, and this plunged the family into mourning. The family was, by then, worried that all was not well with them, but thought that it was just bad luck that had befallen the family.

One of the daughters, Grace Mukhesa, said that the latest death has left her with no hope in life. “How can I have hope when my whole family is being wiped out while we look on? I have seen it all happening before my eyes and these incidents have left me hopeless,” she said.

She added that she has no idea as to what could be happening in the family, but confirmed that all is not well in the family. “An evil force must be behind all the misfor-tunes that our family is going through and we have reached a cul de sac, as we do not know how to proceed with a life of uncertainties. We do not who will be next, and this has left us in much confusion,” she said.

She said that her brother was a peace-loving person, who could not even hurt a fly, but his humbleness did not please everybody in the village. “Who could dare to kill a humble person like him, who minded his own business and never bothered anybody? If he had committed any crime they should have called the police, and not made him pay with his life. Whoever did it should be found, arrested and put to jail for the rest of his life, as he has caused much pain to the family that would never heal,” she said.

The sad father, Mr Joe Mukhesa said he fails to understand why his family is being wiped out. “We have been burying family members one after another and we can’t even tell the reason and the person behind it. If we owe somebody, why can’t that person come into the open and we would repay him in order to save our family,” he said.

The chairperson of the local Magidi Sanco branch, Mr Thifhelimbilu Liphadzi confirmed that the village has become a no-go area in the evening. “We are sick and tired of criminal activity in our area and we have decided to hold a mass meeting on Saturday (tomorrow) where the community would decide on which steps to take,” he said.

Well-known traditional healer and Xitsonga traditional music icon, The General MD Shirinda said it is sad that the family had to go through such pain. He said there must be a member of the family who might have wronged somewhere and evil forces are haunting the family. He said it is just unfortunate that innocent people should be killed or die for something they know nothing about. He advised the family to seek traditional medical advice so that the spell can be casted away.

The police spokesperson in the Vhembe area, Capt Mashudu Malelo confirmed the death. He said that police were investigating murder charges and that no one has been arrested yet.

Malelo pleaded with community members not to drink liquor and hang around taverns until the early hours of the morning. He said that besides the violent crimes, people also make themselves available to criminals who will rob them of their cash and other valuables.

He appealed to those who might have witnessed the incident to notify the police.