Polokwane – Limpopo police have arrested two suspects in connection with the brutal murder of a 34-year-old woman and her two-year-old daughter, whose decapitated bodies were discovered after they went missing in mid-May.
Provincial Police Commissioner Lieutenant General Thembi Hadebe has commended officers for their investigative work, which led to the arrest of Tshilidzi Phalandwa (43) and Balangani Sedzani Tshivhombedze (32).
The pair were linked to the gruesome crime following a breakthrough by a task team comprising SAPS Thohoyandou, Thohoyandou Detectives and the Provincial Missing Persons Unit.
The mother and child were reported missing on 19 May 2025 in Thohoyandou, Vhembe District. After weeks of investigation, the team followed a credible lead that led to the discovery of their bodies on 30 July 2025.
The bodies were found without heads, raising serious concerns about the nature and motive behind the killings.
“It is disturbing to learn that one of the suspects is believed to have been the deceased woman’s boyfriend,” said SAPS spokesperson Colonel Malesela Ledwaba.
“The motive for the murders is still being investigated.”
The suspects appeared before the Vuwani Magistrate’s Court on 1 August 2025. They were remanded in custody, and the case was postponed to 12 August 2025 for further investigation.
Police say the investigation is ongoing.
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Compiled by Betha Madhomu
