SOUTH AFRICA: Alleged S*x Worker, 23, Stabs Client To Death After Dispute Over Payment In South Africa
A 23-year-old woman, Mudau Rothe, has stabbed a man to death after dispute over payment for s*xual services in South Africa.
The suspect, said to be a s*x worker, appeared in the Thohoyandou Magistrate’s Court on Friday, 7 August 2026, on a charge of m8rder and was remanded in custody.
The matter was postponed to 13 August 2026 for pre-trial profiling and further police investigation.
According to the State, members of the South African Police Service responded to a complaint at a residential address in Ha-Mphego Village, Thohoyandou policing precinct, Vhembe District, on Thursday, 6 August 2026.
Upon arrival, officers found a 34-year-old male with multiple penetrating trauma injuries.
Emergency Medical Services personnel attended the scene and certified the man deceased.
Preliminary investigations indicate that the incident allegedly followed a verbal altercation between the accused and the deceased.
The motive cited in the charge sheet relates to a dispute over payment for s*xual services.
The accused was arrested at the scene and detained pending her first court appearance.
Rothe was not required to plead. The State told the court that investigations are ongoing, including forensic analysis of the alleged murder weapon and a post-mortem examination to determine the exact cause of death and mechanism of injury.
The magistrate postponed the matter to allow the investigating officer to complete the docket and for the accused to undergo assessment as per court procedure.
Limpopo Provincial Commissioner, Lieutenant General Jan Scheepers, said gender-based violence and violent crimes remain a serious concern and reiterated SAPS’ commitment to thorough investigations to ensure justice is served.
The investigation continues under the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation.