Itsani community shocked by brutal murder of young man

The brutal stabbing of a 23-year-old man at Itsani outside Thohoyandou over the weekend has sent shockwaves throughout the community.

According to a report received, the victim, identified as Eric Mukoma Thahala, was enjoying drinks with friends at a local tavern in Itsani in the early hours of Sunday, 28 January, when an altercation between him and a group of unknown revellers ensued. What led to the quarrel is still to be determined, but those close to the situation believe that a love triangle was at the heart of it.

Witnesses who were at the tavern on the night of the incident indicated that Thahala was the one who started behaving strangely, provoking other patrons. He was ultimately attacked and chased out of the tavern by unknown men, who followed him to the nearby bushes, where he was allegedly stabbed multiple times. His bloodied body was found shortly afterwards.

A community member, preferring anonymity, described this as the most brutal killing the village had ever witnessed. “His body was covered in stab wounds. There was blood all over, and when the father arrived, he was overcome with grief and collapsed on the bloody body,” he said.

The chairperson of SANCO’s Itsani Matieni branch, Mr Michael Gumula, said the fact that youths who were supposed to contribute to the development of the village were losing their lives unnecessarily was disturbing. “Crime in this village is on and off. We have lost many young people as a result of crime. As usual, these crimes happen at beerhalls and shebeens. This year, we experienced a crime-free festive season, and we thought it would be a good year, but then this happened. We are so saddened. We send our condolences to the family. We plead with our youth to avoid alcohol and rather concentrate on their studies,” he said.

According to SAPS spokesperson Col Malesela Ledwaba, the motive behind the incident is still subject to police investigation. “We have opened a case of murder, and no arrests have been effected so far,” he said.

The incident was strongly condemned by the acting police commissioner in Limpopo, Maj-Gen Jan Scheepers, who encouraged community members to assist the police with information.

Anyone with information that can lead to the arrest of the suspects can contact Detective Sergeant Vuledzani Radzilani on 076 812 9567, the Crime Stop number on 08600 10111, their nearest police station, or visit the MySAPSApp.

Date:02 February 2024

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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