Patient allegedly beaten and locked in isolation room
The owner of a rehabilitation centre in Limpopo's Mopani District is set to appear in court on charges of murder following the death of a 29-year-old man who was allegedly assaulted at the facility earlier this month.
According to police, the 30-year-old suspect collected the victim from his home at Ga-Sekgopo village on 2 July 2025 at approximately 14:00 and transported him to the rehabilitation centre situated in the Modjadjiskloof policing area.
Once at the facility, the young man was allegedly subjected to a brutal physical assault. Investigators believe he was beaten across his body and subsequently confined to an isolated room while visibly swollen and covered in bruises.
"The victim according to information was struggling to walk and unable to bath until he was taken back to his residence at Ga-Sekgopo village on 10 July 2025."
After being returned to his home more than a week later in a severely weakened state, the 29-year-old was rushed to Mankweng Hospital in the Capricorn District, where medical staff admitted him in a critical condition on 10 July 2025.
Inquest upgraded to murder after post-mortem findings
Tragically, the young man succumbed to his injuries at the hospital on 14 July 2025. An inquest docket was initially opened at Mankweng police station. However, following a forensic post-mortem analysis conducted on 18 July 2025, a pathologist confirmed that the deceased had sustained severe injuries consistent with the alleged assault.
On the strength of those findings, the case was reclassified from an inquest to a murder investigation on Monday, 21 July 2025, and the docket was transferred to Modjadjiskloof police for further probing.
Law enforcement wasted no time in launching a manhunt for the suspect. Members of the Mopani Tracking Team, working alongside officers from Modjadjiskloof, pursued the accused until he was apprehended the following day, Tuesday 22 July 2025, within the policing area. He was immediately charged with murder.
The 30-year-old suspect is expected to make his first appearance before the Modjadjiskloof Magistrate's Court on Thursday, 24 July 2025, to face the murder charge. Police have confirmed that investigations into the matter are ongoing.
