A MISSING Umzinto man, Nawaaz Khan’s headless body was found at the weekend, after his friend led police to the site where he had been killed.
“Khan (23) of Gandhinagar, Umzinto went missing on Saturday, 31 October. A missing person’s enquiry was subsequently registered with Umzinto SAPS. All efforts to find him proved futile. It is alleged he was last seen in the company of a close friend and this weekend, while being interviewed by detectives, the friend broke down and led them to a forest in neighbouring Isonti. Khan’s headless body was found lying in the bushes,” said provincial police spokesman, Brig Jay Naicker.
It is alleged that Khan’s friend had consulted a traditional healer who requested a human head so he could help resolve his problems. The traditional healer and Khan’s friend lured him to the crime scene in Isonti. While there, Khan was attacked with a bush knife and beheaded. His cellphones, clothing and takkies were taken by his attackers. Neither the head nor the bush knife has been recovered as yet.
A 21-year-old man is in police custody and is expected to appear in the Umzinto Magistrate’s Court today (Tuesday, 10 November).
“He made a full confession to a commissioned police officer on Monday, 9 November.
Police have launched a manhunt for the traditional healer, who is on the run. He is known to detectives who expect to take him into custody soon. They are hopeful that his arrest would lead to the victim’s head and the murder weapon being recovered.
Two more people, one from Msholozi Informal Settlement in Umzinto and the other from Dumisa, were taken in for questioning on Sunday night, 8 November. They each allegedly bought one of the two cellphones that had belonged to the deceased.”
KZN police commissioner Lt Gen Mmamonnye Ngobeni commended police on the arrest. “We strongly believe the arrest of the alleged traditional healer is imminent. It is unacceptable that such cases are continuously being reported. We urge members of the community not to follow instructions of such merciless traditional healers but to rather report them to police,” she said.
