THOHOYANDOU - The body of a South African civilian official, who died under mysterious circumstances in Burundi last weekend, arrived in the country on Tuesday evening.

According to a report by the Government Communication and Information System Mr Elvis Azwifarwi Makhado (42), a civilian finance clerk, was found strangled in an abandoned house approximately six kilometres outside Bujumbura on Friday. According to a report, Makhado was found with a rope round his neck and bruises to his cheek.

He was a member of the 700-strong military contingent deployed to protect ten Hutu exiles who returned to Bujumbura recently, to take up posts in a multi-ethnic transitional government. The South Africans were deployed in Burundi in late October and include uniformed as well as civilian defence department personnel.

Makhado's body was met with military honours upon arrival at the Waterkloof Air Force Base in Pretoria. "Because he was on official duty as a military official, it is procedural to honour his body as it arrives in the country," said a spokesperson for the SANDF, Col John Rolt. Regarding the circumstances surrounding Makhado's death, military authorities said the case was in the hands of the Burundi police.

Rolt said that a date for Makhado's burial had not been finalised.

On receiving the news of the death over the weekend, defence minister Mosiuoa Lekota said he was "shocked and saddened" by the incident.

He has since phoned Mr Makhado's family to present his condolences. Makhado is survived by his wife Violet, and four children. They reside at Radali, Tshilapsene.