Nemukula family question kidnapping and assault of brothers
Lerrick Nemukula was killed when he and his brother Michael were kidnapped, beaten and hit with shamboks.
LIMPOPO – The Nemukula family in the rural village of Tshidongololwe under the Thengwe Tribal Authority is still seeking answers from the Mutale police and Tshiswole A Tshithabi (Oshamu Security Trading), a local private security company based in Makonde village, after two of their family members were kidnapped, beaten and hit with shamboks, which resulted in one’s death.
Michael Nemukula (32), the older brother of the deceased, Lerrick Nemukula (30), said he was lucky to survive after a group of people, alleged to be members of the security company, forcefully took him from his girlfriend’s house in Makonde on January 19.
He was beaten by a shambok, and asked about his brother’s whereabouts and threatened should he not take the group to his brother’s homestead in Tshidongololwe that night.
Ironically, Lerrick was wanted by the police in Mutale for breaking the law on his parole conditions after he was arrested for assault and sentenced to three months imprisonment. ‘
He served one month and was released on parole by the Thohoyandou Correctional Services.
He broke his parole regulations after officers could not find him at home when they visited him, according to Michael Nemukula.
“I went to my homestead of Tshidongololwe village with the group of Tshiswole A Tshithabi and found Lerrick sleeping in his room when security guards beat him. I was dizzy because I was also beaten,” Michael remembers.
The managing director of Oshamu Security Trading, Nyadzeni Ravhura, who said he was also the acting traditional leader of Makonde village denied that members of his security company were involved in the kidnapping and assault of two members of the Nemukula family.
“I was only informed about someone who had been beaten by unknown people after he was suspected of malicious damage to property in the village.”
Acting Vhembe police spokesperson Sgt Vuledzani Dathi confirmed that the Mutale police are investigating a case of murder.
It is alleged that, at about 23:00 on January 19, a suspect was brought to the Mutale police station by a private security company, as they alleged that he was a suspect of malicious damage to property.
According to Dathi, after his detention to the Mutale police cells at about 23:30, the suspect started to vomit and was taken to the Donald Fraser Hospital in Vhufuli village for medical treatment under police guard.
He added that the suspect died in hospital on January 20.
No arrest have been made yet.
Lerrick Nemukula was buried on January 28.
