Zimbabweans chased out of Mauluma

Mauluma Village in Nzhelele became a no-go area for Zimbabweans for the whole of last week. This followed the death of a nine-year-old boy, Lufuno Netshisaulu, last Tuesday afternoon. The community blamed the death of the boy, who drowned in the river, on four Zimbabweans.

Shortly after the boy had died, enraged community members allegedly declared war on every Zimbabwean national that could be found in the area. They accused the four Zimbabwean nationals of approaching four young boys who were playing at the village's royal kraal. The young boys were apparently abducted and taken to the river in order to avenge one of their compatriots, who was allegedly beaten whilst he was drinking sorghum beer in one of the village's homesteads a week earlier. The beaten Zimbabwean was apparently fighting with Venda people whilst they were enjoying traditional beer. He allegedly hit the sorghum beer seller with a bottle during the fight.

To avenge the death of the child, the community called for Zimbabweans to be deported back to their home country.

Last Tuesday evening, community members hunted down all the Zimbabweans who were staying in the community and the neighbouring village of Mavhunga. They only found one Zimbabwean on that night and he was allegedly assaulted. He was apparently rescued by the police and was taken to hospital. He apparently opted to flee from the the hospital last Wednesday morning. Infuriated members of the community then barricaded the village’s main tarred road with stones, burning tyres and branches of trees.

Meanwhile, the police had been monitoring the situation closely and admonished the community to refrain from taking the law into their own hands. The Mphephu police spokesperson, W/O Lazarus Netshidzati, said that they were investigating the incident.

The mother of the dead child, Ms Sophie Netshisaulu, said she had never anticipated that her only son would die like that. She said her child had never played near the river. “He used to play at the village’s kraal. I don’t remember if there was a time that he would go to the river,” she said.  

The child who survived the ordeal, Tshivhidzo Luhalima, accounted the entire ordeal toLimpopo Mirror on Wednesday afternoon. He accused the foreign nationals and claimed that they forcefully took them to the river. “They threw us into the river. I managed to swim out, but my friends couldn’t and had to be rescued. Unfortunately, Lufuno did not make it,” he said.

The local councillor, Cllr Thambatshira Neluvhola, said he feared the turmoil could spiral out of control. He had reported the matter to the mayor to intervene if necessary. 

Date:19 February 2015

By: Phathutshedzo Luvhengo

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