Man allegedly stabs girlfriend - goes back to kill her after charges are laid

In one of the most extreme incidents of gender-based violence, a jilted man allegedly stabbed his girlfriend and, upon realising he would be arrested, returned to the victim's house and fatally stabbed her.

The chilling and terrifying incident that claimed the life of 30-year-old Ms Konanani Malabi happened at Bunzhe outside Thohoyandou on Saturday, 1 June, at around 17:00. The dead woman's sister, Ms Rendani Mugwedi, said the deadly drama unfolded in the early hours of Saturday, 1 June, while they were relaxing at a local tavern in the neighbouring Makononi village.

“It was around 4:00 in the morning when, out of the blue, my sister's boyfriend started accusing her of cheating with another man who had just arrived in a car. An altercation ensued between the two, and he ended up stabbing her on the head with a broken beer bottle. We rushed her to the Block G clinic for treatment,” she said.

At the clinic, they were referred to the hospital, but could not go as they did not have money for transport.  "We decided to go back home to get money so that we could go there. While at home, the suspect came to ask for forgiveness, but my sister refused. As planned, we took a taxi from home to the hospital, but my sister decided to pass by the police station to open a case," she said.

On arrival at the police station, the injured woman was taken to the hospital, while her sister went back home. “Throughout, I was in constant touch with her, and she told me the guy was threatening to kill her because she opened a case against him. How the police took her back home before arresting the suspect is still a mystery. My sister ended up killed as a result of this mess. I received a call from my mother informing me of the incident, and I rushed there to find her dead in a pool of blood,” she said.

Mugwedi indicated that the two stayed together for three years before the fallout that led to them splitting. “Their relationship had become toxic, and she had moved out from their home. It came as a surprise to me that they were together again as I had also assisted in her relocating from his home. My sister's death tore our hearts apart. We never expected her life to end in this brutal way,” she said.

She added that her sister has two young children, which now need to be cared for. “She was working and took care of them. We somehow blame the police for taking her back home before arresting the suspect. Had they arrested him first, the incident would have been averted. We now have to prepare for her funeral, which we have not foreseen. We desperately need help to give her a decent funeral. Our wish is that the man who was subsequently arrested be kept in jail forever,” Mugwesi said.

Limpopo SAPS spokesperson Brigadier Hlulani Mashaba confirmed the incident and said that a murder case has been opened. The suspect, Mr Christopher Ndivhuho Mutshinyalo (40), was arrested the same day and appeared in the Thohoyandou Magistrate Court on Monday, 3 June. He was charged with assault and murder. His case was postponed to 29 July for further investigations.

During the appearance, the state indicated it will oppose bail. Mutshinyalo indicated he will not be applying for bail.

Date:07 June 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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