Limpopo police are investigating a grim wave of murder, rape and kidnapping cases involving women and girls reported since the start of Women’s Month on August 1, reports Polokwane Review.

The cases include the murder of women allegedly kidnapped, the rape of minors and the abduction of three sisters, highlighting the continuing threat of gender-based violence in the province despite renewed calls during Women’s Month for greater protection and safety.

Women targeted in murders and kidnappings

In Dennilton, a 26-year-old woman was allegedly kidnapped from her home by two armed men on August 1 while her boyfriend was away. Her body was found near the Ntwane soccer ground the following morning with multiple gunshot wounds. The motive remains unknown.

An unidentified woman was found dead behind a church in Ga-Madiba village on Sunday (August 9)  with multiple stab wounds. Police have appealed to the public for assistance in identifying her.

A 34-year-old woman was allegedly kidnapped and raped in Polokwane on the same day after accepting a lift while hitchhiking. The suspect allegedly demanded R6 500 from her mother in exchange for her release before police tracked him down and arrested him.

He appeared in the Polokwane Magistrate’s Court earlier today (August 11).  Police believe he may be linked to four other kidnapping cases.

A 24-year-old suspect, Nakedi Samuel Ramollo, appeared in court last week in connection with the kidnapping and murder of 18-year-old Anna Ramollo, a person living with a disability.

Anna’s body was found in a shallow grave near Bergeneck Road in May. Ramollo was arrested in Polokwane on August 5 and remanded in custody. The matter was postponed to September 15.

Children among the victims

Several cases reported since the start of the month involve children.

Police are searching for a suspect after a 13-year-old girl was allegedly raped by a relative in the Vhembe district on Saturday (August 8).

The alleged assault came to light after the girl’s mother returned home from Women’s Day celebrations and was alerted by family members.

That same night, three sisters were allegedly abducted and raped by two men in a rural area of the Mopani district. The girls were later dropped near a filling station.

In an unrelated case, a 49-year-old man was arrested for allegedly raping his 16-year-old daughter over an extended period. The allegations came to light after a church member raised concerns with a pastor about the family home.

A 74-year-old man was arrested at his home in Seshego on August 4 for allegedly raping two girls, aged five and eight, who live with him. He appeared in the Seshego Magistrate’s Court on August 6.

Separately, a 56-year-old man with 10 previous convictions was sentenced to life imprisonment by the Polokwane Regional Court on August 5 for raping a 12-year-old girl in Seshego in 2023.

Police step up operations

As cases of violence against women and children continue to emerge, Limpopo police have stepped up enforcement operations.

In Waterberg’s Villa Nora area, police marked Women’s Month on August 8 with Operation Basadi, an enforcement operation led entirely by female officers.

The operation resulted in 109 arrests for offences including illegal immigration, illicit liquor dealing and possession of drugs.

‘Basadi’, meaning women, reflects the operation’s focus on placing female officers at the forefront of policing during Women’s Month.

Limpopo provincial commissioner Lieutenant General Jan Scheepers said the cases reported since the beginning of Women’s Month demonstrate the scale of gender-based violence in the province.

“Gender-based violence has no place in our society,” he said. “We urge the community to come forward with any information that may assist the police in apprehending the perpetrators.”

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