Mr Joseph Musehane (58) of Tshisahulu Posaito outside Thohoyandu disappeared a week ago. The family and the community looked for him everywhere, but with no luck and he was reported as a missing person.

Just when they thought he would never be found, something happened. He was found a week later, on Sunday, but sadly, his body was in an advanced stage of decomposition. His death has left a puzzle, which the family and the community are trying to unravel. They have been left with sore hearts and they need answers...

When news of the grisly find were made known, the community went wild and wanted to take the law into their own hands. The timely intervention of the leadership of the village, led by local ward councilor Ms Humbulani Mulovhedzi, whose wisdom could be equated to that of the biblical Solomon, saved the day.

A question that is raised by many is whether Tshisahulu has gone to the dogs, with criminals reigning supreme with impunity, where they kill innocent people, knowing that nothing will be done. Musehane, a member of the SANDF at 15SAI Battalion in Vuwani, was last seen on Saturday last week, when he went to sleep. Details about his disappearance and the subsequent discovery of the body are still sketchy, but the angry community believes it could have been the work of a family member or members. His sister, Martha Musehane, said he had gone to the Thohoyandou complex with the daughter of his girlfriend, who did not stay very far from his home.

“He came back with the girl and they brought some groceries. After a while, he told me that he was going with the girl to her home at Thavhani, which is not very far from here,” she said. He came back in the evening and, as usual, they talked before she went to bed in an outside room. That was the last time she saw him alive. After his disappearance, they looked for him for a week, but to no avail.

The sister, who is disabled, said she had gone to church on Sunday and had come back at noon, whereupon she was told of a smell in the yard. “My neighbours told me of the smell. We thought that a dog might have fallen into a hole and died, but we looked everywhere and could not see anything,” she said

It was when she wanted to pick up some clothing lying on bricks that were just next to the house that she made the gruesome discovery. The body was later found under these bricks. It was covered with some clothing and in an advanced state of decomposition.

She confirmed that there had been quarrels in the family. At one stage they were reported to the police and also to the traditional leader. “There was no peace here at home as the deceased always quarreled with his children, but I am not suggesting that this might have led to his death. All we know now is that he is dead, and how he died is still a mystery to us. Only the police will help solve this puzzle. We are very shocked, because we have been searching everywhere, not knowing that he is rotting here, “she said.

She said her brother´s death had left her devastated as she came to live there because of him. “I am at a loss. I do not even know what will become of me after this death. He loved me and was my pillar of strength,“ said the sad gogo.

The death has also sparked an outcry from the community, with some people saying that not much was being done to protect men. MR Bardwell Mufunwaini of the Munna Ndi Nyi Men’s Forum said one death or an injury to a man was one too many. “Government should not only look at the abuse of women and children but all people. In this country, when a man is abused it is nothing, but when it is a woman, the whole country will be talking about it. We should observe human rights for all; no one should be allowed to abuse others,” he said.

He urged the police to intensify their investigations and to apprehend the perpetrator or perpetrators.

Ward 27 Thulamela councilor Humbulani Mulovhedzi said when they heard about the incident they called a meeting and a task team was elected which met with the station commissioner at the Thohoyandou police station.

“We are tired of crime in this area. The community is angry and we do not have to teach the police what to do. We asked them to speed up the investigation as we now fear mob justice. What we would like to see happen is for the police to question the children of the deceased as people believe it could be an inside job. Meanwhile, we will be assisting the police in gathering information that could help in this case,“ she said.

Mulovhedzi called for calm but also urged the police to solve all the outstanding cases in the village. Mmbangiseni Makumbane from the Makumbane royal house also called for calm, saying the community should give the police the chance to investigate the matter. He said it was normal and natural for people to be angry, but they should not be carried away by emotions. “We need peace in this area, and the only way this can come about is when we as the community work hand in glove with the police,” he said.

Thohoyandou police spokesperson Captain Mashudu Malelo said they had opened an inquest docket, following the discovery. "A post mortem will be conducted to determine the cause of the death and if anything comes out to the contrary, we will not hesitate to change the docket to murder. We are appealing to anybody with information to please come forward with it, so that it could assist us in unravelling the mystery,” he said.

Musehane will be buried at the weekend.