POLOKWANE – The gruesome discovery of the decomposed body of a woman just outside the city on Sunday is of great concern as it is thought to be one in a series of others also found in recent weeks.
The body was found on a farm along the Matlala road on the outskirts of the city.
An anonymous source who was first on the scene says one of his workers was herding cattle in the fields when he found the body.
“It was around 16:30 when he went to fetch the cattle and was met by the gruesome scene. The decomposed body of a female was discovered and it looked like it had been there for a while – maybe even two weeks. He called me to the scene and the police were alerted who reacted very swiftly.”
The man says from what he saw, the eyes of the woman had been removed and her hands were tied behind her back with a thin wire. She had also been gagged with a piece of cloth.
He says that the Westenburg police attended to the scene and an inquest was opened.
“I personally don’t think she was killed here because we looked around a bit and there were no signs of a struggle in the area. I assume she must have been dumped here after she was killed. We have not noticed any suspicious activity either but this is the third incident of its kind here in the past month, where bodies were found with the hands tied to the back and the victims’ mouths gagged.”
Westenburg station commander Col Maimele Pilusa confirmed the incident and says the station is investigating a murder.
“The decomposed body of a woman, whose age cannot be determined as a result of the state of decomposition, was found on Sunday on one of the farms along Matlala road. The deceased was wearing a white shirt, a yellow bra and a white skirt but no shoes.”
The police appeal to anyone who is missing a family member or anyone who might have information regarding the incident, to contact the station.