RESIDENTS of Westbury in Joburg are reeling in shock and even fearing for their lives after a man's body was found in a man-made coffin on Thursday morning, 25 January.
Pastor Isaac Stanton from Pentecostal Holiness Church found the body of the man, who is believed to be Asian, lying in a man-made coffin. The body was covered in blood, the face was also bloody and the man's legs had been broken to fit into the coffin.
Blood was leaking from the coffin and flowing on the road.
"They murdered him and dumped him in front of the church. We contacted the police to check everything. He was not murdered here, he was dumped here. People are doing funny things," said Stanton.
The pastor said they don't know the man. "We don't know his family. It's heartbreaking and sad," he said.
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Ward Councillor Ronald Harris also said they don't know the victim. However, there are speculations he was from the informal settlements, while others said he's from Mpumalanga and was kidnapped two weeks ago.
"We're hearing different stories, but we don't know who he is as yet. I don't think any human being deserves to be murdered so brutally and then dumped like that. No one deserves to die like that. If you look at the body of that young man, he is well grown. His fluids were flowing from the coffin," said Harris.
Police spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Mavela Masondo said the cops opened a murder case for investigation.
"It's suspected that the deceased was murdered somewhere and dumped in Westbury. The motive for the killing can't be confirmed at this stage. The investigation is underway," said Masondo.
