The Chauke family in Jerome, outside Malamulele, received the shock of their lives when their peaceful sleep was disturbed by a loud bang early Saturday morning. When the dust had partly settled, they realised that a bakkie had driven through the wall of the house and into their living room.

The brutal murder of Dumisani Mabobo in the early hours of Sunday morning (23 June) has sent shockwaves through the Elim community. Dumisani (21) was stabbed to death and robbed of his laptop by an unknown man near the Elim Shopping Complex, as he returned from Gauteng at around 01:00.

The Mphephu-Ramabulana Royal Family suffered another setback when the Constitutional Court refused them permission to approach the court directly. The court did not want to rule that an interim leader for the Vhavenda be appointed and said that the matter first needed to be considered in the lower courts.

A 51-year-old murder suspect, Shonisani Godfrey Muleya, who was arrested for allegedly killing his girlfriend on 17 February 2024, was buried at Muswodi Tshisimani last Saturday (22 June).

With the critical need for accessible healthcare, the Phelophepa Health Care Train made its way to Louis Trichardt train station, providing much-needed free medical care from Monday, 3 June to Friday, 14 June. However, the train faced a typical challenge: Vhembe’s water shortage.

Makhado Mayor Dorcus Mboyi delivered her 2024/25 budget speech at the Makhado Show Grounds last Friday, announcing a 12.7% increase in electricity tariffs and a 4.9% increase in property rates and other services for consumers in the municipal area, effective from 1 July this year.

Ms Thinavhuyo Nobela of Mashau Doli and her five children live in dire conditions in a single-room, dilapidated mud house with no proper floor. The perilous roof is held in place by bricks, posing a constant danger of collapse. Despite her efforts since 2018 to secure a government-built RDP house, she remains without a safe home.

Saturday 15 June was a heartwarming day for Ms Mary “Mmbau” Leshavhana as many people gathered to celebrate her 100^th birthday at a function held in Mashamba.

Rebecca Letsoalo (26), a University of Venda (Univen) master's student in physics from Sebayeng Village in Polokwane, will represent South Africa at the 2024 Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting in Germany.

Her name, Pfunzo, translates into "education," and she is indeed well educated. She holds a BA degree in language practice and teaching methods, which she completed at the University of Venda. However, instead of working in a fancy, air-conditioned office, she makes mud bricks for a living.

Limpopo’s unacceptably high number of road fatalities may require a unique, locally designed solution that combines planning, enforcement and education. These were among the proposals made during a recent Limpopo Road Safety Programme (LRSP) Strategy Workshop held in Polokwane.

Incidents of stray elephants are becoming a common occurrence in communities bordering the Kruger National Park and the Limpopo River. Recently, they caused havoc at Musunda outside Musina, where farmers suffered severe losses when a herd feasted on and trampled their crops, resulting in damage amounting to thousands of rands.

A group of elderly women from Manavhela and neighbouring villages outside Vuwani marched to the local Vuwani Magistrate’s Court on Thursday, 13 June, to voice their grievances. Their march followed the arrest and subsequent court appearance of the alleged murderer of Ms. Rosina Ramasimu. The 60-year-old woman from Manavhela was raped and brutally killed while collecting firewood in the local Burasini bushes. The shocking incident happened on Thursday, 4 April, and her naked body was found in the bushes the following day.