Pretoria – The SAPS at Levubu, outside Thohoyandou in the Vhembe District has arrested a 15-year-suspect for allegedly stabbing a 34-year-old woman to death at Tshakhuma Diambele village in Limpopo.
SAPS provincial spokesperson in Limpopo, Brigadier Motlafela Mojapelo said the woman was killed on Monday afternoon.
“The victim allegedly arrived home from work at about 2.50pm and called her mother to enquire about the house keys. She was reportedly directed where the keys were.
“The deceased, identified as Phathutshedzo Nemalumani, was found lying in a pool of blood in the house by her son, also aged 15, who was from school. The suspect, who was also present in the house, allegedly started chasing the deceased’s son out of the premises,” Mojapelo said.
Police said the frantic screams by Nemulumani’s son, while being pursued by the 15-year-old attacker, alerted neighbours who came to his rescue.
“The police were called and the suspect was arrested. It is not clear at this stage how the suspect gained entry into the house. The motive for the incident has also not yet been determined, but housebreaking cannot be ruled out.
“The suspect, who is said to be the friend to the deceased’s son, will be processed in accordance with the Child Justice Act,” Mojapelo said.
Meanwhile, provincial commissioner of police in Limpopo, Lieutenant General Thembi Hadebe has called for “proper and adequate parenting of children to minimise incidents of this nature”.
Police investigations into the incident are still continuing.
Last week, murder-accused Khodani Takalani, 18, from Vondwe village outside Thohoyandou, who was arrested for the murder of his teenage girlfriend, was granted bail of R3 000 by the Thohoyandou Magistrate’s Court.
“It is alleged that Khodani stabbed his girlfriend Tshinakaho Munyai to death on December 5, 2021,” Limpopo spokesperson for the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) Mashudu Malabi-Dzhangi said.
The NPA said Takalani had initially deceived the police regarding the circumstances around the murder of his girlfriend.
“During the investigation, Khodani deceived the police that they were walking on the street when they were confronted by an unknown man armed with a knife. He (said he) ran away, while the unknown man dragged the deceased into the bushes.
“However, the accused was arrested on a murder charge two days later after a meticulous investigation by the investigating officer. The lifeless body of the deceased was later discovered by members of the public,”Malabi-Dzhangi.
The matter was postponed to February 25 for further investigations.
IOL