“Why Did They Choose to Kill My Daughter?”: Family of Murdered Woman and Child Break Silence
- A Vhembe-based traditional healer was found in possession of missing mother Rendani Tshigwili and her two-year-old daughter's body parts
- Rendani Tshigwili's husband, who is also the father of her toddler, has since been arrested for the murder
- Briefly News spoke to Tshiwgwili’s family, who expressed fear that the suspects might return and harm them
Limpopo-The family of 34-year-old Rendani Tshigwili says they are living in fear after she and her two-year-old daughter, Ndingatshilidzi Muronga, were found brutally murdered, and their bodies were discovered with their heads severed. The pair had been reported missing on 19 May 2025.
Source: Getty Images
The Thohoyandou police have arrested several suspects, including Tshigwili’s husband and a traditional healer. Rendani’s mother, Gladys Tshigwili (62), told Briefly News that while the family welcomes the arrests, they are living in fear of being attacked by the suspects.
“To be honest, we are still confused as a family as we do not know what the motive of the killings is and why they chose to kill my daughter and granddaughter. It is so painful losing your loved ones in such a cruel manner,” said Gladys Tshigwili.
How the duo went missing
In May 2025, Briefly News reported on how the duo went missing while on their way to buy electricity in the Thohoyandou shopping complex. They were last seen boarding a taxi.
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With the mother and daughter's bodies having been found without their heads, Gladys said that as a family, they now believe that they were murdered for ritual purposes. This is after a 38-year-old traditional healer was found by the police in possession of the victim’s heads in a separate area where their bodies were found.
“In this day and age, my daughter and grandchild were murdered for their body parts, something which we never thought could still happen. But this makes us as a family live in fear, because we do not know what the suspects will do next or if all of them have been arrested,” she said.
Limpopo police spokesperson, Colonel Malesela Ledwaba, told Briefly News that on Friday, 01 August 2025, police in Thohoyandou, Vhembe district team together with the provincial team of investigators dealing with missing persons, managed to arrest a 55-year-old suspect.
“Further police investigators led the members to the residence of a 38-year-old traditional healer at Muraga village under Thohoyandou precinct. The traditional healer was allegedly found in possession of the missing heads of the two victims and was also placed under arrest,” said Ledwaba.
Police investigations set to continue
Ledwabwa said that among the suspects, two of them, namely, Tshilidzi Phalandwa (43), who is Rendani's husband and Sedzani Tshivhombedze (32), have already appeared before the Thohoyandou magistrate court, and they will be remanded in custody until they appear again on Tuesday, 12 August 2025
The 55-year-old suspect and a 38-year-old traditional healer will appear before the Thohoyandou magistrate's court this week.
“Furthermore, a charge of possession of human tissue will be added against a 38-year-old male suspect,” said Ledwaba.
Source: Twitter
Son-in-law among the arrested suspects
Gladys Tshigwili said that she is more worried and confused that among the arrested suspects is his son-in-law.
“He is someone whom we trusted with our daughter’s life, and we never thought that one day he might be involved in her murder, and if he is indeed involved, the police must make sure that he rots in jail,” said Tshigwili.
Woman and sister-in-Law die after fire attack by boyfriend
In a previous article, Briefly News reported that a man in eMalahleni has set the mother of his children and his sister alight after a heated argument. The two women, who had since been treated in hospital, have tragically died.
The 22-year-old Nompumelelo Gumede was doused with petrol, locked in a room, and set alight by her live-in boyfriend, who is also the father of her young child. His sister, who tried to protect Gumede during the attack, was also badly burned.
Proofreading by Kelly Lippke, copy editor at Briefly.co.za.
Source: Briefly News
