Security officer charged with murder after shooting

A security officer, Lufuno Ravhura, who was arrested for allegedly fatally shooting a 43-year-old man at the Makonde Mountain last Friday afternoon (1 March), appeared in the Thohoyandou Magistrate’s Court late on Monday afternoon.

A delay was caused when the police brought the suspect to the court very late, after many people who had packed the courtroom earlier had already left. This helped to defuse tensions in the courtroom between family members of both the accused and the victim.

Lufuno Ravhura is accused of shooting and killing a 43-year-old man, Mpheletshedzeni Samuel Khomola, from Matangari village.

According to the acting communications manager of the SAPS in the Vhembe District, W/O Vuledzani Dathi, the victim was with his friends, gathering traditional herbs, when the suspect, accompanied by a pack of approximately 20 dogs, approached them.

“An altercation ensued between the suspect and the victim, leading to a heated argument. The suspect, who was known to the victim, [allegedly] brandished a firearm and fired multiple shots, fatally injuring him,” Dathi said.

He added that in the chaos that followed, the victim’s friends managed to flee the scene and seek assistance from nearby community members. Upon receiving reports of the shooting, the police swiftly responded, with emergency medical services personnel, and headed to the scene. “The victim succumbed to his injuries, having sustained multiple gunshot wounds to his body,” Dathi said.

News - Date: 08 March 2024

Victor Mukwevho

Victor Mukwevho Ne-vumbani joined the Mirror during it's inception in 1990. He joined the SABC newsroom in 1995, and was known by  listeners as "A u fhedzisela ari". He was a news editor for The Tembisan Newspaper from 2007 to 2015. He rejoined the Limpopo Mirror newspaper in June 2022 as a freelance journalist.

Email: [email protected]