Hazyview – The discovery of the body of a 46-year-old woman at the KaMajika graveyard in Masoyi, near Hazyview on Thursday, (11 July 2024), has prompted a police manhunt for the assailants.
Police in Mpumalanga said preliminary investigations reveal that the woman was abducted in front of her children from her home in Mphatseni on Sunday.
The discovery of the body dumped in a graveyard in Masoyi came after three other bodies were recently exhumed from shallow graves at a cemetery in Pienaar.
Police said the deceased, whose bodies were exhumed on different days, were also the victims of abductions.
The exhumed bodies were identified as 36-year-old Bonisiwe Mabuza, six-year-old Junior Mabandla, and three-year-old Peaceful Khoza.
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Mpumalanga police spokesperson Captain Magonseni Nkosi said a team of police investigators had been assigned to track down the perpetrators.
“The body of a 46-year-old woman kidnapped at Mphatseni on Sunday was found with multiple injuries and a rope around her neck,” Captain Nkosi said.
He said the gruesome discovery was made at Kamajika’s new cemetery.
“According to information, the victim was kidnapped by three armed suspects in front of her three children at home. All suspects’ faces were covered during the time of the incident,” Captain Nkosi said.
The name of the 46-year-old woman has not yet been made public.
Meanwhile, Captain Nkosi said the 18-year-old suspect accused of the abduction and murder of two of the exhumed victims – six-year-old Junior Mabandla and three-year-old Peaceful Khoza – has died in hospital.
The accused, Siviwe Thulare, who was beaten up by a mob for the alleged abduction and murder of the children had been held in hospital under police guard, when he died on Thursday.
However, Captain Nkosi said the exact cause of the death of the accused was unknown as an autopsy was yet to be conducted.
