Rustenburg- A man allegedly strangled his 80-year-old neighbour to death, shot two other people dead in an apparent love triangle incident in Limpopo.
According to the police, the man first attacked his neighbour aged 80 at Lwamondo Mutandani village outside Thohoyandou, by possibly strangling him before taking his firearm and motor vehicle.
“The suspect thereafter proceeded to Thohoyandou Block Q where he shot and killed a man and his partner before fleeing the scene. The incident took place last night, Thursday, 23 March, 2023,” said Brigadier Motlafela Mojapelo.
“The local police in Thohoyandou received a report at about 20.40 last night (Thursday) that there was a shooting incident that has taken place at a house situated next to Baptist Church in Sibasa. Upon their arrival, they found the bodies of male and female victims with gunshot wounds.
“Preliminary investigations indicated that the suspect entered the premises and shot the victims at gunpoint. He then fled the scene in a motor vehicle. A case of two counts of murder was then opened.”
He said the police in Vuwani were on Friday morning, summoned to a house in which the 80-year-old man was found dead in the passage of his house at Lwamondo village.
“His firearm was stolen from the safe and his motor vehicle was also missing. He was identified as Ngondiseni Samuel Shavhani. Cases of murder and house robbery were then opened.
“The investigations of these two separate incidents were then coordinated and it soon came to light that the suspect was in fact the same person identified as Thinandavha Bravo Mulaudzi residing at Lwamondo village in Vuwani.”
The team, on Friday, launched a manhunt for Mulaudzi until his body was found with a bullet wound in the bushes in Mapate Village under Vuwani policing area.
“The firearm and motor vehicle belonging to the 80-year-old deceased were also recovered.
“The deceased in Sibasa were identified as Patricia Manavhela, 48, and her partner Simon Ramutsindela Thifhelimbilu, 49,” he said.
“The motive of the incident is unknown at this stage but a love triangle cannot be ruled out,” Mojapelo said.
He said the police were investigating three cases of murder and an inquest.
IOL