Woman's decomposed body found at Tshiozwi

When news about the discovery started circulating on Tuesday, the police had to battle to keep the big crowd that had gathered at the scene at bay. To complicate matters for the law enforcers, heavy rain showers poured down when the body was being loaded into the forensic pathology vehicle.

Mr Thendo Mavhandu, a passer-by who found the body, said he was taking a shortcut through the bushes on his way home to Tshiozwi when he made the gruesome discovery. “I noticed this strange object that looked like a person,” he said. He went closer to inspect and saw a body in a bad state of decomposition. The smell was also really bad.

“This was a real person and must have been in the bush for some time,” he said. Mavhandu said that he had called people living nearby who had come out and called the police.

Police spokesperson Sgt Irene Radzilani confirmed that the body of woman was found in the bush. “We are pleading with the community to assist us in this regard,” she said. Radzilani said that a murder docket was opened. “We are making an appeal to whoever might have information about the incident to please notify the police nearest to them,” said Radzilani.

Zoutpansberg Community Development Forum (ZCDF) chairperson Mr Patrick Sikhutshi said they were shocked about the gruesome murders of young women happening in Madombidzha and Tshiozwi. On 23 January this year, the body of a 15-year-old Grade 10 learner from Maneledzi High, Lungisani Phosa, was also found in a field in the area.

“We are seriously worried about the loss of life due to criminality. We call on the police and detectives in particular to follow up on these murders and bring the perpetrators to book”, he said. Sikhutshi encouraged community members to provide information that will lead to the arrest of the criminals.