Limpopo in Shock as GBVF and Ritual Murder Cases Surge

Limpopo is grappling with a wave of violence so brutal it has left entire communities in fear. In just 10 days, more than 10 women have been murdered across the province and authorities now suspect some of these cases may be linked to ritual killings.

A crisis erupting during Women’s Month

What makes the spike even more gut-wrenching is its timing. The killings began at the start of August, a month meant to honour and celebrate women in South Africa.

Premier Dr Phophi Ramathuba did not hide her anger and devastation when she convened an urgent special extended executive council meeting in Polokwane this week. “There is something wrong in our province, especially in the Vhembe district. Such horrific murders cannot be normal,” she said, adding that “substantial intervention” was needed immediately.

President Cyril Ramaphosa also weighed in, using his Women’s Day address at Nkowankowa Stadium near Tzaneen to send a stern warning to perpetrators of gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF).

Chilling details from the Vhembe district

Among the most disturbing recent cases is the murder of a 34-year-old woman and her two-year-old daughter, reported missing in May. Police investigations led to a 55-year-old man from Makuleke village and a 38-year-old traditional healer from Muraga village.

When authorities searched the healer’s homestead, they allegedly discovered the missing heads of the victims. National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Mashudu Malabi-Dzhangi confirmed that a charge of possession of human tissue would be added to the murder charges.

More arrests, deeper fears

Two other men, Tshilidzi Phalandwa, 43, and Balangani Sedzani Tshivhombedze, 32, have also been linked to the murders. All suspects have appeared in the Thohoyandou Magistrate’s Court and remain in custody while investigations continue.

The brutality of the crimes and the possibility of ritual motives, has reignited painful debates in Limpopo around the intersection of criminal violence and certain traditional practices. While the vast majority of traditional healers in the province reject such acts, the stigma of ritual killings has long cast a shadow over communities in Vhembe.

Communities demand protection

On social media, the reaction has been a mix of grief, outrage, and calls for swift justice. Activists argue that Women’s Month should be a period of renewed government commitment to ending GBVF, not a time when women’s lives are taken with such cruelty.

For many in Limpopo, the fear is now twofold, the threat of gender-based violence itself, and the possibility that some killings may be driven by beliefs in harmful rituals. Ramathuba’s message was clear: the province cannot afford to normalise this violence, and stopping it will require urgent, coordinated action from police, government, and communities alike.

The investigation continues, but for now, Limpopo remains on edge, mourning lives lost and demanding that the killing stop.

{Source: The Citizen}

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