NELSPRUIT – The police in Masoyi are investigating a bizarre incident in which a grave was dug whereby suspects were disturbed as they were attempting to exhume the body of a man who was buried few weeks back. The discovery of this shocking incident is said to have been made by some residents in the early hours of yesterday, Wednesday 14 December 2022 at Jerusalem graveyard in Masoyi outside White River.

A case with regard to a violation of a corpse has been opened and is under investigation. It is alleged that some members of the community were going to the grave in preparation for a funeral when they saw two people who then fled upon their arrival. Police at Masoyi were informed about the incident and upon arrival at the scene, they discovered that the suspects left a panga, a spade as well as a bag with some items which looks like muthi inside. Upon closer observation, the grave of a man who was buried on 23 November 2022 at the age of 19 was dug but the suspects failed to bring the body to the surface. His family was then summoned and they are in a process to determine whether his body parts are complete.

Police cannot rule out the possibility that the act could be somehow related to some kind of practices of a certain cult however more details will unfold as the investigation progresses.

No one has been arrested so far and police urge anyone with information that may assist the investigation to arrest the perpetrators by calling the Crime Stop number at 08600 10111 or send information via the My SAPS App. All received information will be treated as confidential and callers may opt to remain anonymous.

The Provincial Commissioner of the SAPS in Mpumalanga, Lieutenant General Semakaleng Daphney Manamela has strongly condemned the incident and labelled the act as an indication of a moral decay in the society. The General has vowed that police in collaboration with members of the public ensure that those responsible are soon brought to book.

Source: South African Police Service