Barely a week before the commencement of the 16 days activism against violence against women and children, a 15-year-old pupil lies dead, allegedly killed by a man who should be pro-tecting her like a brother or a father.

The girl, Mashudu Denga from Tshisahulu Riverside section outside Thohoyandou, was found murdered in her bed in the early hours of Tuesday last week. She was a pupil at the Khwevha Secondary School and was last seen the previous day at her homestead at about 20:00.

According to information, Mashudu’s mother came back home on Wednesday evening, only to find the door of their one-roomed house locked. She then sought refuge at a neighbour’s house, where she slept with her two other children. Early on Thursday morning she went back, only to find the door still locked. She then decided to force the door open, using a spade, and made the grisly discovery.

Mashudu’s bloodied body was found with a shoelace tied around her neck. She also had an open cut wound to her throat and two bread knives with bloodstains were found at the scene. Preliminary investigations also revealed that the girl had been raped before being murdered.

The murder has left the family and the community in a state of shock. Incidents of crime have been reportedly rife near the scene of the murder, which has led the community into believing that a rapist is on the loose in their area. Residents who were interviewed said the area has become a no-go, area with no one daring to traverse the area as soon as darkness fell.

The father of the murdered girl, Mr Thomas Nkwinika, said the death of his beloved daughter had left the family traumatised. He said the beautiful girl was supposed to be writing her examinations with others, but a beast with a devilish heart decided to end her life in the most barbaric way. “She was still young and we were still awaiting the best from her, but somebody just decided to end her life,” said the sad father.

Community leader Mr Aaron Netshifhefhe said he was worried about the prevalence of crime in the area. He said as the leadership of the area they were going to approach the local traditional leader whereby an imbizo would be called for the whole community to discuss the issue of crime in the area.

He said they had had minor crimes like theft from houses, but the murder was a new phenomenon in the village.

“We know these criminals as they live in our midst. If we are united, the rotten potatoes can be exposed and our community can be a better place to live in,” he said.

He urged the community to assist the police in solving crimes, as they alone could not succeed.

The chairperson of Munna Ndi Nnyi Men’s Forum, Mr Bardwell Mufunwaini, said it was sad to find that there were still men who derived pleasure from abusing children and women. He said they spent their time fighting for the rights of all, but some men still chose to kill and maim children and women. “These are not men at all; we do not even know how to classify them as they do not have the qualities of men. They live like wild animals which have no respect for life, “he said.

On learning about the incident, youths under the umbrella of the Tradition Family and Culture Value Restoration and Youth Empowerment Centre sent their condolences to the family. The chairperson of the centre, Dzivhuluwani Mathivha, said they wanted to send a message that they were distancing themselves from the ghastly deeds. “We oppose all forms of violence and we encourage all youths in our area to engage themselves in profitable projects that will see them prosper in life and not to engage in things that will ruin their future forever,” he said.

Limpopo police spokesperson in Vhembe Captain Mashudu Malelo said they had opened a murder docket. He confirmed the arrest of 28-year-old suspect from the same village. Shumani Mamilasigidi was arrested and appeared in court on Monday; the case has been postponed to January 6. No bail was granted.