The authorities in the Western Cape are currently investigating a murder case in Beacon Valley, Mitchells Plain, where the decapitated body of a man was discovered at the intersection of Greyville and Metropolitan Streets on Monday evening.
Sergeant Wesley Twigg, a police spokesperson, has stated that the circumstances surrounding this incident are currently being examined.
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According to News24, reports from a local community WhatsApp group said that the victim’s head was found in a gift bag by a resident two streets away from the initial discovery site.
The news of this incident has deeply disturbed the Beacon Valley community policing forum (CPF), as conveyed by Chairperson Norman Jantjies.
Jantjies noted that this is the first time such an incident has occurred in their community. He emphasised that, to the best of their knowledge, there have never been cases where bodies were found without heads in the area.
However, the CPF acknowledged that Beacon Valley has been grappling with gang-related issues, making it challenging to rule out the possibility of gang-related violence as the motive behind this act.
Jantjies clarified, ‘We cannot 100% say that the motive is gang-related; that is up to the police investigation to determine.’
The community has reported the presence of the 28s and Nice Time Kids gangs in the area, though the CPF has noted that gang violence in Mitchells Plain has been relatively quiet over the past year.
Despite this, Jantjies acknowledged that there have been sporadic shootings in the area over the past year, contributing to lingering tensions among residents. He confirmed that the police and community members would be convening to discuss the incident and explore potential avenues for community support and safety enhancement.
During a media briefing on Tuesday, Western Cape Police Commissioner Lieutenant-General Thembisile Patekile expressed his astonishment at the discovery of the headless body, describing it as a ‘strange’ situation.
Patekile urged the community to come forward with any information that could assist in identifying those responsible for this heinous crime.
In light of the ongoing investigation, the police have called upon anyone with information about the incident to contact Crime Stop at 08600 10111.
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