House of traditional leader accused of kidnapping set alight

Shortly after traditional leader Vhamusanda Mudzulathungo Mmbi (66) and his co-accused, Shumani Luvhengo (33), had appeared in the Tshaulu Periodic Court on Monday, 10 May, to apply for bail, Mmbi’s eight-room house in Tshikonelo-Tshiawelo village was torched.

Mmbi and Luvhengo were arrested on 19 April this year after they had allegedly drugged a 34-year-old man at a local tavern and kidnapped him. The victim woke up in a bush at Nyabane village and identified Mmbi and Luvhengo, who were allegedly standing nearby, talking about him (the victim) as not being “the one they were looking for”. The man fled and reported the incident to the police, who arrested Mmbi and Luvhengo shortly afterwards.

The fire at Mmbi’s home was discovered by nearby community members in the early morning hours of Tuesday, 11 May. No one was allegedly in the house at the time of the fire, as Mmbi lived alone and is currently still in custody. 

According to Limpopo police spokesperson Brig Motlafela Mojapelo, the police in Tshaulu are investigating a case of arson after Mmbi’s eight-room house in Ha-Tshikonelo-Tshiawelo village near Basani, just outside Malamulele, was set alight by unknown suspects. No arrests have been made yet.

Mojapelo said that community members had been barricading roads leading to Tshikonelo village with trees and rocks over the past few days. The community members are opposing the bail application of the two accused, as they believe them to be involved in the sudden mysterious disappearing of local people over the past months. Some allege that the suspects can be linked to ritual murders in the area.

The Mmbi royal family’s spokesperson, Mr Moses Mmbi, told the media that the family was faced with great tribulations. “Look at the past few weeks. We had been gathering in court for his bail application and now we found out that his palace was set alight. We were hoping that the assailants would wait for the law to go its course, rather than taking [the] law into their own hands,” said Moses.

Mmbi and Luvhengo’s bail application was extended to Thursday, 13 May.

Date:13 May 2021

By: Silas Nduvheni

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