2 Kidnapper Who Kidnapped A Man & Sold His Vehicle For R7,500 To A Foreigner Has Been Arrested

The Thohoyandou High Court has handed down life imprisonment sentences to two men convicted in a chilling case of murder, robbery, kidnapping and defeating the ends of justice in Mandiwana village under the Siloam policing area in Limpopo.

The court sentenced accused 1, Thinandavha Rudolph Mathisa (37), and accused 2 Lucas Mukhadi (35), on Friday, 22 May 2026, following a harrowing investigation into the brutal killing of 37-year-old Jimmy Mukwevho.

Mathisa received life imprisonment for murder alongside five years for robbery with aggravating circumstances, five years for kidnapping, and three years for defeating the ends of justice. Mukhadi received identical sentences, with counts 2, 3, and 4 ordered to run concurrently with the life term.

The court heard that on 18 December 2022, Mukwevho was in Mandiwana village driving a Nissan NP200 in the company of the accused when he was allegedly attacked at Mathisa’s homestead. Mathisa is said to have struck the victim on the head with a brick killing him instantly. The suspects then bound the victim’s body before placing it in the vehicle’s rear bin.

In a disturbing attempt to conceal the crime, the body was allegedly dumped at Levubu Bridge with the assistance of a female suspect, while the vehicle was later driven to Mashau village and sold for R7,500 to a foreign national businessman.

The vehicle was later traced and recovered, leading to the arrest of Mukhadi on 2 January 2023 and Mathisa on 4 January 2023. A third female accused from Mashau village was subsequently released by the court due to insufficient evidence.

The investigation led by Sergeant Collen Sinyosi of the Siloam Detectives unit, was praised for its persistence and professionalism in securing convictions and keeping the accused in custody until sentencing. The Provincial Commissioner of South African Police Service in Limpopo commended the investigative team saying the verdict sends a strong message that violent offenders will face the full might of the law.

AD