At Senakwe Section in the Mokwakwaila policing region, a body reportedly was taken and dragged out of the grave by an unidentified suspect or suspects, prompting Limpopo police to start an investigation.
On Sunday, February 5, one of the family members went to the cemetery to tidy the gravesite in preparation for the impending gathering for the tombstone unveiling. It was then that she discovered the horrifying discovery.
DUG OUT AND STEAL FROM CEMETERY CORPSE
Brigadier Motlafela Mojapelo, a spokesman for the South African Police Service (SAPS) in Limpopo, said that when officers arrived at the site, they were greeted with the peculiar sight of the vandalized grave having a hole and an open coffin with no body inside.
According to Mojapelo, a preliminary investigation carried out on the site revealed that the suspect(s) gained entrance to the cemetery by hacking through the side gate. They excavated a hole close to the grave, gained entry, and removed the body from the coffin.
“According to reports, Modike Philemon Masedi, whose corpse was taken, passed away on January 15, 2022, and was buried on January 22, 2022. At this point, we don’t know what caused this catastrophe,” he stated.
Lieutenant General Thembi Hadebe, the commissioner of the Limpopo Police, has expressed horror at what transpired at the aforementioned gravesite and has ordered that the offender(s) be found and prosecuted.
“We urge the local community to respect the police’s ongoing investigations and refrain from casting blame, since this often encourages vigilantism, in which individuals take the law into their own hands,” Hadebe added.
According to police, charges of severe violation and theft have been initiated.
Detective-Commander Warrant Officer Nthai Modjadji may be reached at 060 996 0062, 015 386 9940, or by calling Crime Stoppers at (800) 911-0111 if they have any information that will help with this investigation. They also have the option of using the MySAPS App or going to the neighborhood police station.
»Corpse dug up and stolen before gravestone unveiling«