Municipal Manager’s sister murdered

Date: 03 November 2006 By: Wilson Dzebu

Shocked community and family members watched in disbelief as police retrieved the lifeless body of a woman, who had been abducted, murdered and thrown into the Luvuvhu River last week. The sad end of Mpho Muthambi (26) of Vuwani-Tshivhulana, last Thursday, is still a mystery to bemused community members. Her body was discovered floating in the river by a passerby in the early hours of Thursday morning.

Mpho was the younger sister of the Municipal Manager of Makhado, Ms Faith Muthambi. She was undressed and there was some blood around her head and her mouth was swollen. She leaves behind her eight-year-old son, Tshilidzi.

Police are investigating an abduction and murder case but no arrest had been made at the time of going to press.

Reliable sources said Mpho Muthambi was sleeping alone inside her shack, where she also kept the building materials to complete her seven-roomed house at Vuwani Township. "The deceased heard footsteps behind her shack and phoned her brother Rendani at about 22:00. Her brother then ordered the deceased to call the police or neighbours. Mpho then phoned the neigbours, who started searching around the shack and found no one.

After ten minutes of fruitless searching, the neighbours heard a smashing sound at Mpho’s shack. They later found blood spots and signs of struggling on the ground to show that the deceased had tried to resist the attack.

Family spokesperson Doreen Muthambi said they spotted the deceased’s shoe a few steps from the Luvuvhu River where the deceased’ body was discovered. "We are deeply hurt by the horrific tragedy and we don’t know the reason behind this gruesome murder. We are receiving counseling from the community and staff of the Makhado Municipality."

The mayor of Makhado Municipality, Glory Mashaba, visited the bereaved family to express her condolences over the weekend.

According to the deceased’s sister, Ms Faith Muthambi, the post mortem revealed that two teeth had been removed from Mpho’s mouth and she was bitten by a human being on her mouth and stomach. It also seemed if she was hit with a sharp instrument on the head. Her neck was also broken and she had bled profusely.

Mpho will be buried at Tshivhulana Village Cemetery tomorrow (Saturday) at 06:00.

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Wilson Dzebu

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