The third week of the Radzuma brothers’ murder trial is currently underway in the Limpopo High Court in Thohoyandou, with additional witnesses testifying.

On Tuesday, 24 October, Mr Tshifhiwa Given Nemulodi from Hamphego village outside Thohoyandou testified that his younger brother, the late Zwothe Nemulodi, had visited him in Gauteng on 28 October 2020. His brother was initially also a suspect in the murder of the two SAMWU members, Timson Musetsho and Ronald Mani, but he was killed before he was arrested.

Tshifhiwa Nemulodi told the court that he was surprised when, just four days into the visit, Percy Radzuma called his brother and told him to return to Venda to discuss a serious business deal. Shortly afterward, Nemulodi’s body was found in the hospital mortuary.

“On November 1, 2020, my younger brother, Zwothe, who was visiting me, mentioned that Percy Radzuma had deposited R400 into his FNB eWallet and that he was considering going home the following day. Little did I know, as I accompanied him to a taxi back to Venda, that it would be the last time I would see him alive. We communicated throughout his journey back to Venda. I last spoke to him on November 2, 2020, when he informed me that he had just arrived in Louis Trichardt and that Percy had instructed him to meet at the Tshisaulu T junction. Around 19:00, my mother informed me that Zwothe had not returned home,” he stated.

Tshifhiwa informed the court that, four days later, when Nemulodi was still missing, his mother had called him again, expressing concern about his brother. He returned to Venda on November 11, and the family began making inquiries. Eventually, they discovered that Nemulodi’s body was in the mortuary of Tshilidzini Hospital. They strongly suspected that the Radzuma brothers knew something about his brother’s death and that Nemulodi might have had knowledge of their crimes. They were concerned that Nemulodi might disclose this information to the wrong people.

The three Radzuma brothers also face accusations of murdering Nemulodi prior to their arrest.

Meanwhile, the general secretary of the South African Communist Party, Mr Solly Mapaila, and some of his comrades attended the trial to support the families of the two murdered SAMWU members.

Mapaila stated that corruption deprived people of their wealth and emphasised that Mani and Musetsho had not been mere casualties; they had been fighting against corruption and maladministration.

The trial continues.