Man killed in shooting

Students and workers in and around the Sibasa area are living in a state of fear, following a cold-blooded shooting at the Ralukukwe Boarding House on Saturday during which one person was killed.

On Monday, the deceased was identified as Mulalo Mukwevho, a mechanic at Netshituni Bus Service in Thohoyandou. The 33-year-old man hails from Tshitungulwane outside Vuwani.

The incident in which Mukwevho was killed also left scores of students injured.

The Ralukukwe Boarding House is not far from the Vhembe TVET College’s main campus at Makwarela. A caretaker at the house, who wanted to remain anonymous, said that three thugs had come to the gate of the boarding house at around 01:00 on Saturday morning.

The robbers then allegedly started firing shots. According to the caretaker, he heard noises at the gate, followed by three shots that were fired.  “I ran inside the house and locked myself in. There was a big commotion outside at the other rooms, but I was helpless as I did not know what was happening,” said the caretaker.

The three robbers gained entry into the boarding house and looted personal belongings from several of the residents’ rooms. On their way out, they allegedly fired another shot. “We only realised that a man had been shot and killed after they [the robbers] had left,” said the caretaker.

When the Limpopo Mirror arrived on the scene, several students were still busy collecting their belongings and vacating their rooms. They were visibly traumatized and some were also limping from the injuries that they had sustained during the attack.

The owner of the establishment, Mr Edwin Ralukukwe, said he was in shock. He confirmed that the damages totalled close to R70 000. This is apart from the business he is losing as many of his clients have sought shelter elsewhere out of fear for their lives.

A spokesperson for the Thohoyandou Police Station, Capt Takalani Malogwe, confirmed that cases of robbery and murder have been opened for further investigation. Arrests have yet to be made.

Keep reading the Limpopo Mirror to see how the story unfolds.  

News in brief - Date: 21 February 2017

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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