Phiphidi murder accused denied bail, another suspect arrested

The alleged Phiphidi Easter killer, Avhakholwi Madzinge, was denied bail by the Thohoyandou Magistrate’s Court on Thursday, 9 June.

Madzinge (33) was arrested in connection with the attack on Phanuel and Norah Magogona at their house in Phiphidi on Easter evening in April this year. Norah (53) was hacked to death with a hoe, while Phanuel (56) sustained serious injuries and was hospitalised for two weeks before he also died.

Madzinge stands accused of two counts of murder and one of assault with the intent to do grievous bodily harm (GBH).

Before the proceedings, different stakeholders from the community, including the Tshivhase dynasty, local Phiphidi Pastors Forum and the civic association, appeared outside the Thohoyandou Magistrate’s Court on Thursday to oppose bail for Madzinge.

The court took into account that no exceptional circumstances had been put forward by the accused that warranted him to be granted bail. “The degree of the violence during the commission of the offence and public outrage are very important considerations in this matter, and releasing you on bail will not be in the best interest of the community,” said magistrate Mukoma Maiwashe, who presided over the application. Madzinge’s case was postponed to 10 August.

Ms Ivy Marandela, a family member of the deceased couple, heaved a sigh of relief after the accused was denied bail. “What happened here makes us have hope that justice will at long last be served,” she said.

In the meantime, a second suspect was arrested in connection with the case. Phathutshedzo Muvari (40) was apprehended on Wednesday, 8 June. He appeared in court with Madzinge on Thursday. His case was postponed to 17 June for a formal bail application.

Date:16 June 2022

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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