The dusty village of Ha-Vhangani was rocked by a tragic incident last week when a 19-year-old man allegedly strangled and killed his 17-year-old girlfriend. Aluwani Mawela was allegedly strangled and killed by her boyfriend, Tsireledzo Mushaphi, by all acounts for trying to answer his cell phone.

According to the police report, the couple were standing together in the street when Mushaphi´s cell phone started ringing. It all went wrong when Aluwani allegedly tried to answer it. Mushaphi then grabbed Aluwani by the throat. She fell down and fainted. The police added that although the ambulance was called in to assist, Aluwani died while being attended to by paramedics.

The accused then supposedly ran away, but the police managed to arrest him the following day. Family members of the deceased told our reporter during his visit to the bereaved family that the incident came as a shock and that they were severely traumatized. A family member, Ms Phillies Muravha, said that residents called them and told them that Aluwani had collapsed in the street.

"We rushed there and found her lying on the ground. We were told she had fainted. She was very weak and we decided to take her to the house. The ambulance had also arrived and the paramedics told us she had passed away. It was very bad news to our ears," she sobbed.

She added that everything suddenlychanged the moment paramedics declared her dead.

The spokesperson for the Vuwani police, W/O Elijah Malatjie, confirmed the incident. He said the police had opened a case of murder, following the incident. "We managed to arrest the suspect and have charged him with murder. Our investigations are still continuing," said Malatjie.

Aluwani was a Grade 11 pupil at Mudinane Secondary School.

The deceased´s uncle, Mr David Mawela, said that the family members were still shocked and very disturbed about Aluwani´s death. "She was still young and the family was still expecting a lot from her. The whole family was saddened by her death," he said. Mawela added that the family would love to see the law taking its course. "We want to see a severe punishment. The accused has to pay for what he has done. He must rot in jail where he belongs," he emphasized.

Mushaphi appeared briefly before the Vuwani Magistrate´s Court last Wednesday and the case was postponed to 18 November.

Aluwani was laid to rest at a local cemetery in the village last Saturday.