In a dramatic turn of events that shocked the whole South Africa, a widow who wept uncontrollably during the funeral of her husband, was arrested in connection with his gruesome murder.

Avhatakali Netshisaulu (31), the son of City Press editor Mathatha Tsedu, was buried during an emotional funeral service held at Matangari Village, north of Thohoyandou, on December 23.

After intensive investigations by the police, the deceased’s wife, Mulalo Sivhidzho (28) was arrested and she appeared in the Krugersdorp Magistrate’s Court for the second time on Friday. Bail was not granted and she will appear again on 19 January. It was hardly a week after the couple had moved into a newly built mansion in the Johannesburg suburb of North-Riding that Avhatakali was murdered.

The couple was married in April last year and have no children. They went to Gauteng because of job commitments, but Avhatakali hails from Matangari village and his wife is from Haluvhimbi village, north of Thohoyandou.

Netshisaulu’s badly burnt body was found in the boot of his car at Nooitgedatch, near Muldersdrift, on December 7, 2006. Investigations showed that he was burnt alive during the gruesome murder. He only worked for a month at Anglo Platinum, before he was brutally murdered. He was an active member of the Uniting Presbyterian Church in Southern Africa.

Ironically, Mulalo initially blamed police inefficiency for the death of her husband. "Had the police done something, my loving husband would have been alive today," she said shortly after the tragedy.

Netshisaulu’s widow is implicated with other five suspects, some of whom are believed to be the deceased’s relatives and business partners. The five suspects appeared in the same court and their case was postponed to January 18. They are Ntambudzeni Mutsenene (29), who is believed to be having an affair with the deceased’s widow, Sello Arnola (28), Rodney Makhura (32), Setshaba Fokane (36) and Mashudu Mutobvu (30).

In a farewell message read on behalf of Mulalo by a family member during Avhatakali’s funeral, she said: "Avhatakali, they have taken you from me, but they will never take your love away. I will always miss being in your warm arms because no one will ever replace you in my life. My love for you is so strong. I will never forget the weekends you took me away to different hotels and restaurants, not forgetting the time you took me overseas. God knows why you were taken away from me at such a young age."

As if he was prophesizing during Avhatakali’s funeral, Pastor Mukondeleli Ramulondi of the Uniting Presbyterian Church in Southern Africa said: "Avhatakali’s blood will never stop screaming to his killers and the smoke of his flesh will make them not to know peace for the rest of their lives. It will not take a long time before they are busted because what they have done is barbaric, inhuman and unacceptable."

Avhatakali was born in Nzhelele on June 3, 1975. He passed his Grade 12 with flying colours at Mphalaleni High School, Matangari, in 1992. He completed his B Com Degree at the University of the Western Cape in 1995. He also held a Master’s Degree (M Com Tax) from the University of North West, Hons B Compt/CTA from the University of South Africa and an MBA from the University of Durham in the United Kingdom. He was working for the Rand Merchant Bank as a credit analyst in 2003 when he was awarded the Nelson Mandela Foundation Bursary to study for his MBA in the UK.