HA–MAKUYA - Citizens of Mavunde Village at Ha-Makuya are desperately looking for an unknown suspect who murdered a 23-year-old man known as Mashudu Rambauli of Mavunde village.

According to the liaison commissioner of the Ha-Makuya police station, Insp Madida, the body of a 23-year-old young man was found lying in the bush near the road on January 18 at about 15:00 by passers-by.

The body was found with the following body parts missing: a nose, the right eye, both the upper and lower lips, the left hand, five fingers of the right hand and five toes of the right foot. The victim was a student who matriculated last year and was last seen on January 14.

According to Insp Madida, the police regard this murder as the most evil of its kind. The police are also suspecting that the murder was not committed in the area, but instead the culprits finished their evil job and then threw the body near to the road so that people could find it.

The police hope to apprehend the perpetrators of this hideous deed with the help of the public. In the meantime the police are on a massive manhunt for the killers.

Members of the public are urged to contact their nearest SAPS branch if they have any information that might lead to the arrest of the killers.

According to Mr Ndidinwangani Mudau, who is a psychology student at the University of South Africa, this kind of practice is related to African traditional beliefs that there are specific human body parts which can be used to ensure that if one starts a business it will be successful, in that these body parts can help in attracting customers or buyers.

Mudau told Mirror that this became a dominant practice in the 70's and 80's. "I believe that this is another way in which traditional healers try to rob people." He urged all business people who want to improve their business to exclude traditional healers in their plans because such people will ensure that they earn a living at the expense of others, Mudau concluded.