Police arrest alleged grave violator

‘Main suspect’ caught in George, Western Cape

Police have made a breakthrough and arrested the main suspect in cases relating to the violation of graves at Tshitavha village, near Thohoyandou in Limpopo.

The bodies were allegedly dug up after they were buried.

A 23-year-old man was arrested on Saturday night in George, in the Western Cape, in connection with crimes that have shocked the villagers in recent weeks.

Police Brigadier Motlafela Mojapelo said a team of Limpopo investigators had investigated several leads that led them to a house in George, where the man was apprehended.

“I can confirm that we have arrested a 23-year-old prime suspect, who was being sought since the first body was exhumed from a grave in Tshitavha village outside Thohoyandou,” Mojapelo said yesterday.

Mojapelo said the man was linked to several cases in which graves and corpses were violated in the Tshitavha-Sambandou area. His arrest brings to four the number of people arrested.

Last week, a 39-year-old traditional healer was arrested for defeating the ends of justice in relation to the same crimes. Eric Kwinda appeared in the Thohoyandou Magistrate’s Court on Friday.

He was remanded in custody until October 30 after he was denied bail.

Mojapelo said more charges would be added against Kwinda following the arrest of the alleged “prime” suspect.

Two more people, aged 20 and 29, were arrested and charged with the violation of graves and corpses in the area.

This came after the body of Ngangade Alpheus Vhudzikadzika was found with the head missing when it was exhumed two weeks ago.

Vhudzikadzika’s widow Tshinakaho Mbedzi, a 52year-old mother of five, said: “I hope the arrested people will tell us where they had taken my late husband’s head to, and for what purpose.”

frankm@sowetan.co.za