DURBAN - Mpumalanga police have converted a missing person enquiry into a murder case.
Initially, police had arrested two men for being in possession of property suspected to be stolen. One of the men is wanted for several cases in KwaZulu-Natal.
The men were arrested prior to the opening of a missing person’s case.
Police spokesperson Brigadier Selvy Mohlala said Sifiso Bhengu, 21, was arrested alongside Nkosinathi Nkosi, 31, in August for being in possession of property suspected to be stolen.
Mohlala said on Tuesday the police, alongside Crime Scene Management, exhumed the body of Makhosini Sehlako, 42, which was wrapped in a duvet cover. Although the body was decomposed, the deceased’s brother was able to identify him.
“On Monday, November 8, 2021, at about 9am, Makhosini's cousin reported to the police that she noticed a human hand in the garden. The police attended to the scene and then applied to exhume the body,” said Mohlala.
He said on August 28, the Sehlako family reported Makhosini missing and they alleged he was last seen on August 8. The family had further alleged that Makhosini was buried in a pit toilet of the same house and that they suspect that Bhengu and Nkosi had killed him.
The police had followed up on that information but did not find anything.
Mohlala said information had revealed that on August 7, 2021, police were following up on information on a burglary case that led them to a house in Daggakraal No.2.
When police arrived, they noticed a garden spade and muddy shoes in the garden. Not far from the house they noticed that something was recently buried. In the house, there was another pair of muddy shoes, Mohlala said.
He said the police became suspicious and searched the entire house. During the search, they found a pigs head inside a bucket and blood splatters all over the room.
The two men were interrogated about the situation and they both alleged that they had slaughtered Makhosini’s pig who was not there at the time. They also told the police that Makhosini was the owner of the house and that his relatives had given him the pig.
Mohlala said the police found that their story was fabricated and they were both arrested for possession of property suspected to be stolen and are still in custody.
“It later emerged upon investigation that Sifiso Bhengu is also a wanted suspect for several cases in KZN,” Mohlala said.
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