The police are possibly investigating another ritual murder. This follows the discovery of a mutilated body of a 16-year-old girl near the Shingwedzi river in the Malamulele area on Friday morning (7^th).

The girl has been identified as Rithandzu Manganyi from the Gumbani village in Malamulele. She went missing on Sunday, 2 July. On that fateful day she left her home, at around 13:00, to go relieve herself in the nearby bushes next to the river.

Manganyi was never seen alive again, even though her community launched a search for her.

“Her dismembered body was found by young boys when they went fishing at the river. The motive for this murder is unknown, but ritual murder cannot be ruled out,” said provincial police spokesperson, Brig Motlafela Mojapelo.

He further added that similar incidents, in which people especially women, go missing and are later found dead, have become a worrying trend in the Vhembe and Mopani districts.