“Prophet” accused of murder

The sleepy rural town of Tshilamba in the Mutale area of Thulamela came alive on Monday when residents from different villages descended on the town.

The angry residents, who used trucks and other means of transport, were in town to protest against Richard Mlambo, who stands accused of murdering a girl who had visited him to seek spiritual assistance.

The chanting crowd, who braved the rain, could not all gain entry to the court as they were told to produce identification documents to enter the court premises. The police maintained a heavy presence, but no incident of violence was reported in the area. The court room of the Mutale Magistrate's Court was full to capacity and many who could not be accommodated waited outside.

Zimbabwean national Richard Mlambo (40) of Bashasha in the Mutale area stands accused of murdering Lufuno Mandevu (29 ) of Khalavha outside Thohoyandou. Mandevu, mother of two young children, who worked at one of the garages in Thohoyandou, went missing on 27 December last year. She had allegedly visited Mlambo, a well-known prophet in the area. She was last seen with the prophet and was never seen again.

Since then, Mlambo has been on the run after learning that the police were looking for him. They traced him in Tshamulungwi after a tip-off, but he managed to run away after escaping through a window. Officers then followed up some leads on farms around the Musina area and heard that he had been arrested as an illegal foreigner.

The investigating officers acted swiftly and arrived in Musina as he was about to be deported back to Zimbabwe. He was then arrested and charged with murder. After his arrest, he allegedly led the police to a mountain at Tshilavulu in the Mutale area and, according to the police, he pointed out Mandevu's burnt-out body.

In court, Mlambo spoke in Shona with the help of an interpreter. He was told of his rights, which included the right to bail. He quickly responded that he did not need any bail. Presiding magistrate TM Mathivha postponed the case to 2 March, pending further investigations. Mlambo remains in custody.

Mr Nkhangweleni Ramudingana prosecuted.

After the postponement, the brother of Lufuno Mandevu, Mr Khathutshelo Mandevu, said he was still in pain as justice seemed to be moving very slowly. "It is clear this man did not act alone, but he is standing alone here in the dock today. Where are the other people he mentioned before his arrest? The police should do their work and arrest them; this would bring us closer to closure," he said.

Khathutshelo added that they were busy preparing for Lufuno's funeral, which is likely to take place on Saturday (21st), pending the DNA results to confirm that it is really her.

Community leader Bishop Aifheli Munandi of the Mulodi Bashasha Royal Council said the incident was the first of its kind in the area and that it had put the area in a bad light. "We are not being xenophobic, but foreigners are not doing any good in our communities and we are still going to have meetings to chart the way forward," he said.

Date:22 January 2017

By: Elmon Tshikhudo

Elmon Tshikhudo started off as a photographer. He developed an interest in writing and started submitting articles to local as well as national publications. He became part of the Limpopo Mirror family in 2005 and was a permanent part of the news team until 2019.

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