Police in Limpopo have launched a massive manhunt after the horrifying discovery of a woman's lifeless body stuffed inside a plastic bag.

The grim discovery was made by a passerby who, upon spotting the suspicious plastic bag, immediately alerted local police, setting off a full-scale investigation.

According to Limpopo Police spokesperson, Colonel Malesela Ledwaba, officers in Tinmyne, under the Waterberg District, were alerted to a horrifying scene on Sunday — a woman's lifeless body wrapped in a plastic bag and dumped beneath a bridge.

“The deceased was found by a passer-by who immediately went to the local police to report the incident. According to the report, he went for prayers at the river under Mmamatlakala bridge when he discovered the lifeless body of a female victim covered with a black plastic bag on the grass under the bridge.”

He added that officers immediately rushed to the scene, where they discovered the body of a woman dressed in a red skirt, lying in the bushes. There were no visible injuries, but the body was already in an advanced state of decomposition.

Ledwaba stated that the motive behind the incident remains unknown at this stage. A postmortem examination will be conducted to determine the exact cause of death.

The police have opened a murder case, and the identity of the deceased remains unknown at this time.

Police have urged anyone with information that could assist in the investigation to contact Investigating Officer Sergeant Moses Mashaba at 082 319 9448 or 073 703 0488.

Alternatively, individuals can call the Crime Stop number at 08600 10111, visit the nearest police station, or use the MySAPSApp.

The Provincial Commissioner of Police in Limpopo, Lieutenant General Thembi Hadebe, has ordered law enforcement to utilize all available resources in the hunt for the suspects responsible for the brutal murder of the woman.

At the beginning of March, Hadebe released the provincial crime statistics for the second and third quarters of the 2024/2025 financial year, revealing a decline in most crime categories. The decrease was credited to focused high-density operations like Shanela/Kukula in hotspot areas, as well as awareness campaigns aimed at crime-ridden communities.

Although murder cases increased by 2.5% in the second quarter, there was a significant 29.5% decrease in the third quarter.

The province also recorded a decrease in rape cases, with a 7.3% reduction in the second quarter and a further 2.7% drop in the third quarter.

“While we report a 2.5% increase in murder in the second quarter, we celebrate a remarkable 29.5% decrease in the third quarter. This positive trend is further supported by a 13.2% decrease in attempted murder in the second quarter and a slight reduction of 0.1% in the third quarter which indicate that our strategies are making a significant impact,” said Hadebe.

She also emphasised the importance of community-police collaboration and urged residents to report all criminal activities.

The Star

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Limpopo police launch manhunt after woman's body found in plastic bag

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