By Ndivhuwo Mukwevho
- Four suspects, including the victim’s partner, remain behind bars after abandoning their bail application in the Thohoyandou magistrate court.
- Family members say they are struggling to find closure and fear the case will take years before going to trial.
The family of Rendani Tshigwili and her daughter Ndingatshilidzi Muronga say they are still waiting for justice three months after their brutal murders.
Rendani, 34, and her two-year-old daughter disappeared on 18 May while walking to Thohoyandou to buy electricity. Their remains were found earlier this month, with body parts missing.
Four suspects have been arrested. They include Rendani’s long-time partner, Tshilidzi Phalandwa, 43, as well as Balanganani Tshivhombedze, 32, Mpho Nefale, 38, and Humbulani Munzhelele.
The accused appeared again in the Thohoyandou Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday. They chose not to apply for bail, saying they feared for their safety if released.
Police found the heads of Rendani and her daughter at the home of Nefale, a traditional healer, in Tshikonelo village outside Thohoyandou.
Rendani’s mother, Gladys Tshigwili, says the family cannot begin to heal while waiting for justice. She said: “I do not understand how people who have done such a cruel thing are afraid of being released. They should come out and face the wrath of the community.”
She added that she wishes she could ask the suspects why they killed her daughter and granddaughter, and what they planned to do with their body parts.
The family believes the court process is dragging. Gladys said the repeated postponements show that the case may only go to trial next year.
She said seeing the suspects alive in court makes her angry. “They are eating freely in court, while we are still battling to understand how our loved ones died.”
The National Prosecuting Authority in Limpopo said they have not yet received details on why the four suspects abandoned their bail application.
The case has been postponed to 4 November, and the suspects will remain in custody until then.
Pictured above: The mother and daughter.
Image source: Supplied
