Family in hiding as accused in fatal church shooting gets bail

The family of the late choir leader and businesswoman Ms Funanani Patience Mbedzi was caught by surprise last week when informed that her alleged killer had been released on bail. Some family members now fear for their lives and have been moved to places of safety.

Avhapfani Eric Mundalamo made a brief appearance in the Waterval Magistrate’s Court last Wednesday (21 August). He is accused of mercilessly gunning down his estranged wife while she was leading the choir during a church service on 30 March this year. The incident happened at the Precious Blood of Jesus Christ Church at Makonde Shadani.

The Thohoyandou High Court, sitting in Waterval, heard his bail-review application last Wednesday. He was released after paying R25,000 in bail and is due to appear in court again on 30 September. The conditions of his bail are not known.

It appears that Ms Mbedzi’s family was completely unaware of the bail application. When contacted on Thursday, her younger sister, Ms Lienet Mbedzi Mudau, broke down in tears upon hearing the news. “What on earth are you talking about?” she asked.

The family then contacted their lawyer, who was also unaware of the issue. The lawyer had to obtain information from others in the legal community.

Immediately after learning of Mundalamo’s release, the family took Funanani Mbedzi’s son, Mulalo Mundalamo, into hiding, fearing the accused might harm him. “We are all in hiding. That man is a monster who shot his wife dead in church, in front of her first-born daughter, Orifhatutshedza Mpfuni, who was dancing with her mother on stage when she was killed. Oh, God of mercy, what are we supposed to do now?” said Lienet Mudau.

After taking a long breath, she added that the family did not even know the conditions of Mundalamo’s bail as the process was conducted with what they perceive as undue secrecy. “We don’t know where he is supposed to stay while on bail, or how far it is from where we stay. That is why we are in hiding at the moment,” she said.

Meanwhile, the managing director of the Real Man Foundation, Mr Itani Calvin Nenguda, expressed shock at how the bail application was handled and said they had contacted their lawyers to request a review of the judge’s decision. He said the review application was expected to be heard urgently as the family was now frightened and traumatised.

“As the foundation, we have already asked the Minister of Justice and the Director General of Justice to intervene in this case,” said Nenguda.

Date:30 August 2024

By: Victor Mukwevho

Victor Mukwevho Ne-vumbani joined the Mirror during it's inception in 1990. He joined the SABC newsroom in 1995, and was known by  listeners as "A u fhedzisela ari". He was a news editor for The Tembisan Newspaper from 2007 to 2015. He rejoined the Limpopo Mirror newspaper in June 2022 as a freelance journalist.

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