‘Yhoo, Auntie! My Mother’s Head!’: Limpopo Teen Walks Into Family Home and Finds Horror No Child Should See

A quiet Saturday afternoon turned into a scene from a nightmare for one young man in rural Limpopo

It was meant to be an ordinary weekend. But for an 18-year-old boy from Tshidzini Mutshili village near Tshaulu, that Saturday will forever be the day he found his world ripped apart. His voice cracked over the phone as he screamed words no teenager should ever have to say:
“Yhoo, Auntie! My mother’s head!”

The gruesome discovery of his mother’s decapitated body has shocked the community, rattled South Africans, and once again laid bare the chilling undercurrent of domestic violence that often hides behind closed doors.

A son’s search for his mother ends in tragedy

Ramukumba Portia Motodzi, 42, had not answered her phone all morning. Her sister, Aluwani Mutengwe, who lives in Gauteng, had tried calling since 10 am on 2 August but was met with silence. Eventually, around midday, she managed to reach her nephew, the eldest of Motodzi’s three sons, who said he hadn’t seen his mother either and had started searching for her.

When he returned home, he reportedly encountered his father, who became aggressive and violent when asked about Portia’s whereabouts. According to the family, the father beat his son with stones before fleeing the property.

A window shattered, and a nightmare uncovered

Desperate for answers, the teenager attempted to break into the locked house using a spade. When that failed, he used a steel rod to pry open the door. What he found inside was unimaginable: a pool of blood, his mother’s severed head, and her left hand cut off.

Aluwani recounted the moment her nephew called her screaming. “He just kept shouting about her head. He said there was blood everywhere.” The horror he witnessed is something no child should ever have to process.

A history of abuse behind closed doors

The couple had been married since 2006 and had three sons together, aged 18, eight, and four. According to Aluwani, the marriage had long been marked by violence and fear.

“That man was abusing my sister in almost every way. He insulted her, beat her, and did it in front of the children,” she told IOL News. The husband had filed for divorce just a month earlier, in July 2025, though the process had not yet been finalised.

Community shock and calls for justice

The brutal murder has shaken Tshidzini Mutshili and surrounding areas. While Limpopo has seen its share of domestic violence cases, the sheer savagery of this act has triggered outrage and fear.

Aluwani travelled from Gauteng to be with her family in the aftermath. “We don’t even know where to begin,” she said. “What he did was brutal and heartless. We want justice. He must spend the rest of his life in prison.”

Police confirm arrest and open murder case

Limpopo police spokesperson Brigadier Hlulani Mashaba confirmed that Motodzi’s husband, 48, was arrested on the same day as the murder. When police and emergency medical services arrived at the scene, they declared Motodzi dead, having sustained severe injuries to her upper body.

“A murder case has been opened,” Mashaba said. “The motive is still under investigation, but domestic violence cannot be ruled out.”

The suspect is expected to appear in court soon.

South Africa’s shadow war: Gender-based violence

While the country continues to grapple with crime and inequality, gender-based violence remains one of South Africa’s most urgent crises. This case, like many others, highlights how abuse within families can escalate to unspeakable violence if left unchecked.

Motodzi’s death is another reminder that behind many front doors, especially in rural villages, women and children are living in fear. Advocacy groups and social workers continue to call for stronger intervention mechanisms before more families are left broken.

This is not just a story about a murder. It’s a story about a young boy’s trauma, a mother lost to violence, and a system still struggling to protect the vulnerable. As the case heads to court, the community waits not just for justice but for answers to a much deeper question: How many more Portias must die before something changes?

Also read: Limpopo Man Arrested After Wife Found Murdered and Mutilated: Son Makes Gruesome Discovery

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Source: IOL

Featured Image: iStock