Byline: Refeloe Letsoisa
05 October 2022
A decomposed body of a woman was found in a ceiling of a certain house on Tuesday morning, 04 October 2022 around 11h00 am in Minaar Street at Balfour.
According to a statement released by the SAPS Mpumalanga Provincial Commissioner, the Police received a complaint of a bad smell which was coming from a house in Balfour.
When the police arrived at the said house, they found a lady who indicated that she has recently moved into the house to stay with the father of her child.
Upon the search in the house, it became apparent that the smell was coming from the ceiling.
“At first, the ceiling trapdoor did not show clearly what was inside, however the members proceeded to the next room and broke the ceiling where they made a discovery of a human body wrapped with some clothes,” said Brigadier Selvy Mohlala.
Mohlala further stated that Emergency Services personnel were summoned to the scene but the body had already decomposed in such a way that the gender could not be determined at that stage, however the shoes the victim was wearing as well as the nail polish and other features led the team into believing that it is a body of female person.
A case of murder was opened and the police are currently investigating the matter.
It is alleged that during the questioning by the police, the woman who reported the matter indicated that she was concerned about the smell to a point where she even asked the father of her child who indicated that the smell was due to a dead rat.
“When she was asked of the whereabouts of her companion, the lady indicated that she last saw him on Saturday, 01 October 2022 when he indicated that he was going to make payments of some accounts and then vanished,” explained Brigadier Mohlala.
The family is yet to identify the deceased.
Mohlala stated further that investigators believe Mr Thabo Silas Tsotetsi could assist in their investigation therefore he urges anyone who may know his whereabouts or anyone with information that may help in the investigation to contact Detective Sergeant Moeketsi Mofokeng at 0723513801 or call the Crime Stop number at 08600 10111.
Alternatively members of the public can send information via MYSAPSAPP.
All received information will be treated as confidential and callers may opt to remain anonymous.
Provincial Commissioner of the SAPS in Mpumalanga, Lieutenant General Semakaleng Daphney Manamela says, “This is really heartbreaking for a woman to be murdered and her body concealed like that and We strongly suspect that this is another Gender-Based-Violence incident but hope and trust that anyone behind this murder will feel the full might of the law”.
The General also condemned the incident in the strongest possible terms it deserves.
