Five men are set to appear in the Tshilwavhusiku magistrate’s court on Tuesday in connection with the kidnapping and murders of a sex worker and an alleged copper thief in the past year.
The suspects, who are accused of leading a vigilante group in Makhado (Louis Trichardt), were arrested by the Vhembe trio task team after two bodies were found buried in shallow graves in Limpopo villages over the weekend.
Limpopo police spokesperson Brig Motlafela Mojapelo said the woman, a sex worker in Makhado, was last seen leaving home for her place of work in February last year but was officially reported missing earlier this month.
“She was [allegedly] given a property by a man and one of the suspects wanted the house to open a brothel,” he said.
“The woman, 33, refused. The man allegedly arranged for her to be kidnapped.”
Her body was found in a shallow grave in the village of Rathidili.
Five nabbed in connection with kidnapping, murders of sex worker and copper ‘thief’ in Limpopo
Image: Suhaib Salem
Five men are set to appear in the Tshilwavhusiku magistrate’s court on Tuesday in connection with the kidnapping and murders of a sex worker and an alleged copper thief in the past year.
The suspects, who are accused of leading a vigilante group in Makhado (Louis Trichardt), were arrested by the Vhembe trio task team after two bodies were found buried in shallow graves in Limpopo villages over the weekend.
Limpopo police spokesperson Brig Motlafela Mojapelo said the woman, a sex worker in Makhado, was last seen leaving home for her place of work in February last year but was officially reported missing earlier this month.
“She was [allegedly] given a property by a man and one of the suspects wanted the house to open a brothel,” he said.
“The woman, 33, refused. The man allegedly arranged for her to be kidnapped.”
Her body was found in a shallow grave in the village of Rathidili.
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The man’s body was recovered in Madodonga six months after he was allegedly kidnapped from his home in Tshilwavhusiku for the alleged theft of copper cables.
“The man was the victim of vigilantism after people complained he was stealing cables,” Mojapelo said.
“Three suspects were found at their hideout in Mahwelereng and apprehended. The team recovered a pistol with serial number filed off and ammunition.”
The two other suspects were already in custody for alleged murder and other alleged serious crimes.
“Forensic investigations are under way for conclusive identification of the remains,” Mojapelo said.
The five face charges of kidnapping, murder and possession of an illegal firearm.
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