Elias Xitavhudzi
South African serial killer
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Elias Xitavhudzi was a South African serial killer who murdered 16 women in Atteridgeville, South Africa, in the 1950s. Xitavhudzi targeted only whites in the then-strictly segregated community. His killing spree caused a local sensation during the peak years of South Africa's apartheid regime. Prior to his capture, he acquired the nickname "Pangaman" (panga being a local word for the machete with which he mutilated his victims).
Elias Xitavhudzi | |
|---|---|
| Born | |
| Died | 14 November 1960 |
Cause of death | Execution by hanging |
| Other name | Pangaman |
| Conviction | Murder (16 counts) |
| Criminal penalty | Death |
| Details | |
| Victims | 16 |
Span of crimes | 1953–1959 |
| Country | Union of South Africa |
Xitavhudzi was arrested after selling a stolen watch that had belonged to one of his victims. In prison, he confessed to all his crimes. He was quickly tried and convicted of 16 murders. Sentenced to death, he was hanged on 14 November 1960. He was the second in a series of at least a half-dozen serial killers to have plagued the township of Atteridgeville.[1]
