The air around Loskop Dam in Mpumalanga turned horrific on Friday when police uncovered two naked, butchered bodies dumped along the N11 Groblersdal road.
The victims, whose identities remain unknown, had been stripped of dignity and flesh alike – their heads, hands and feet hacked off before their remains were abandoned on a neighbouring farm in Kranspoort near Middelburg. A blood trail on the ground told investigators that the pair were first killed on one property and then dragged across to the next, their final journey traced in red.
Police rushed to the gruesome scene after a complaint from locals. “Upon arrival, members discovered the dismembered bodies of two unknown victims,” confirmed police spokesperson Colonel Fundiswa Maphanga. Specialised forensic teams were immediately called in to process the site.
Arrests made
Three suspects have been detained for questioning. While their possible roles remain unclear, police are treating the case as a double murder and have promised swift progress.
The Acting Provincial Commissioner of the SAPS in Mpumalanga, Major General (Dr) Zeph Mkhwanazi, condemned the killings. “We will leave no stone unturned in ensuring that those responsible face the full might of the law,” he said.
The brutality of the murders has unsettled Middelburg residents. Dismembered bodies are rare in the province, fuelling speculation of ritual killings or gangland executions. What is certain is that the killers wanted the community to recoil in horror – and they succeeded.
Police have appealed for public assistance in tracing the victims’ identities and piecing together their final hours. Anyone with information can contact their nearest station, call Crime Stop on 08600 10111, or use the MYSAPS app.
