Family demands answers after police kill 'nyaope smoking' man

The family of a man shot dead by Makhado police in Louis Trichardt on Friday morning, 16 January, is demanding answers about the circumstances surrounding his death. The deceased has been identified as 41-year-old Godfrey “Godfather” Semenya.

Police allegedly responded to complaints that Semenya had been harassing members of the public near the town’s central business district. When approached, Semenya fled, with two police officers giving chase.

Near the corner of Krogh and Joubert streets, in the municipal park opposite PG Glass, the pursuit escalated. The suspect allegedly produced a knife and stabbed one of the officers attached to the K9 unit. The second officer responded by shooting the armed suspect, who died at the scene.

The injured officer was treated at the scene for stab wounds to the head and arm before being transported to hospital.

The sister of the deceased, Gladys Semenya, said the family was shocked by the way “Godfather” had died. She said they were confused and demanding answers from the police. “What did my younger brother do to these people that made them kill him? I wish they could be arrested, so that they can answer those questions. I want justice for my brother,” she said.

Semenya added that the family had been robbed of a valuable member. “This is uncalled for and cannot happen in this new democratic dispensation,” she said, adding that “Godfather” was addicted to smoking nyaope and did not like fighting with anyone.

Samuel Maedza, who was nearby, said he had been on Krogh Street when he heard gunshots. “I rushed to the scene at Joubert Street, thinking an armed robbery was in progress. The scene resembled a movie. The man was stabbing the policeman, and police in turn shot him twice, with a crowd gathered around the man lying in a pool of blood … The scene was very scary,” the witness said.

Vhembe SAPS spokesperson W/O Vuledzani Dathi confirmed the incident and said the police officer was stabbed, sustaining serious injuries. “A warning shot was fired, but the suspect continued advancing on the police officer. Another shot was fired, and as a result, the suspect sustained a head injury,” said Dathi.

He confirmed that the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) had been notified and is investigating the matter. IPID confirmed that it had visited the scene to reconstruct events. A post-mortem will be conducted on a date yet to be confirmed, and the organisation cautioned that its investigation is still at an early stage.

Date:23 January 2026

By: Kaizer Nengovhela

Kaizer Nengovhela started writing stories for Limpopo Mirror in 2000. Prior to that he had a five year stint at Phala-Phala FM as sports presenter. In 2005 Kaizer received an award from the province's premier as Best Sports Presenter. The same year he was also nominated as Best Sports Reporter by the Makhado Municipality. Kaizer was awarded the Mathatha Tsedu award in 2014.

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