“These foreigners are taking our jobs ... There are millions of them around us, and they come here and use our clinics and services without paying any tax.”

A former member of parliament (MP), who has since also ventured into the world of academia, hopes that his research will help find solutions for the housing problems that the country battles with. In his mini-dissertation for his master’s degree, he focuses on the low-cost housing scheme at Tshikota.

A 32-year-old academic from Biaba in Nzhelele is making inroads into treating sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) among men by using traditional medicine, such as indigenous plants.

A well-known long-distance taxi driver was shot and killed at Ha-Rabali village last Wednesday (5 June). Some residents believe that his death could be linked to a soccer violence incident that occurred a few weeks ago in the area, while others believe it may be a revenge attack linked to abusive behaviour.

In a strange and shocking turn of events, a distraught family, still frantically searching for their missing relative, was dealt a further blow when their house was burnt down by an unruly mob.

A month ago, the residents of Tshidimbini village outside Thohoyandou were shocked by the news that a mentally ill man had allegedly chopped off his brother’s head and displayed it on a huge rock for everyone to see. This week, they were confronted with another death, but this time, that of the alleged killer.

Members of the Khomola family were very dissatisfied after a former security officer was granted bail by the Thohoyandou Magistrate’s Court last Thursday. Lufuno Ravhura, who was arrested for allegedly fatally shooting a 43-year-old man at Makonde Mountain on 1 March this year, was released after paying the R5,000 bail.

Sixteen dogs died in Mafukani village near Matavhela this past weekend, apparently from poisoning.

Residents of Manavhela village are in shock and deeply concerned after the body of Nkululeko Maluleke, a resident of Mavambe village in the Malamulele area, was found hanging from the roof inside an incomplete building. The 28-year-old man’s body was found on Sunday, 2 June, at around 06:00 at a chicken pen near his girlfriend’s home.

The search for a young man who drowned while fishing with a friend in Nwanedi-Luphephe dam ended on a sad note when his body was retrieved from the water on Monday.

In the year 2010, Ms Patricia Ambani was blessed with quadruplets. The Limpopo Mirror was one of the first media houses to visit the family and published the headline story. Urangani, Uhone, Tondani (a girl), and Ipfi, from Khubvi outside Thohoyandou, were born in September 2010.

The community of Musina is still reeling in shock, following the death of the only archbishop in their border town. The founder of the Voice Apostolic Church, Archbishop Samson Azwihangwisi Mudzanani, passed away last Tuesday (28 May) at a hospital in Polokwane. His church had several branches in Musina, Venda, and Polokwane.

From beats to books, Venrap musician and producer Mulalo I Mutoti, better known by his stage name of Bhamba Muphandi, has proven that he can excel in both the studio and academia. On Friday, 17 May, Bhamba received his PhD in environmental sciences (hydrology) from the University of Venda.