Residents of Nzhelele received the shock of their lives when the body of a 35-year-old man was found in the bush.

Mr Norman Siema's lifeless body was discovered by residents who were collecting firewood in the nearby bushes at Tshitunitshafhasi village last Sunday.

Siema, who was mentally challenged, had been living in the bushes for a very long time. Although his family tried to take him home, he often went back to the bushes.

The cause of his death is still unknown. 

Confirming the incident, W/O Lazarus Netshidzate of the Mphephu SAPS said the police had opened an inquest docket, following the discovery. "We were alerted by members of the community, who had discovered Siema in the bushes. When members of our police team arrived at the scene, his body was lying dead between the rocks next to the Nzhelele River," he added.

He said that Siema had no visible wounds on his body. The result of a post mortem was not yet available at the time of going to press.

Netshidzati urged members of the community to look after mentally challenged people in the area. "Mentally challenged people must always be in the care of their relatives," he appealed to the community.