CHILDREN FIND DECOMPOSED BODY OF WOMAN IN PIT LATRINE

MANZINI – Talk about a horrific discovery!

Three minors, aged between four and five, who were playing along the road, discovered a decomposed body of a female suspected to have been stuffed into a pit latrine. They made this discovery at about noon yesterday, at Mbikwakhe, Matsapha, which is a community located about 13 kilometres west of Manzini. According to Vusi Dlamini, a community police member in the same area, they were called by family members after a child peeped through a concrete slab used to cover the pit latrine. The pit latrine is on a vacant plot opposite a thicket within the demarcations of Matsapha High School.

According to Dlamini, one of the children peeped through a 30-centimetre hole on the block covering the hole. While looking through it, the minor reportedly called upon her peers to tell them that there was a person sitting at the bottom of the pit latrine. As this was happening, a guardian of the children was said to have been approaching them, instructing them to go back to their compound. As this was happening, the children are said to have relayed to her what they had just seen. The guardian also inspected the hole to verify the startling statements that were being made by the children. Upon confirming them, it was said she called upon neighbours to witness the discovery while also informing the community police member.

Dlamini said it was at this instance that they were informed and they went to the vacant plot to inspect the discovery. He said subsequent to this, they contacted the police. The community police member relayed that the body was found in a decomposed state. However, he did note that from what was retrieved, the woman had a small body size. Dlamini said what surprised them was that how did the woman get to be at the bottom of the incomplete latrine as the hole in it was about 30cm wide.

Retrieved

Dlamini said when the police and Eswatini National Fire and Emergency Services (ENFES) personnel retrieved the body; they had to break the concrete slab in order to get into the pit. Inside it, they found that the woman was not robbed as there was a red duffel bag with clothes suspected to be hers and a Samsung cellular phone. His suspicion was that the woman might have been shoved into the hole after she was killed. Based on the state in which she was found, the community police member suspected that the body might have been dumped into the latrine during the festive season. This was also supported by a community member, who requested not to be named. The community member claimed that the extensive rainfall collected in recent weeks could have played a major role in the delay of the discovery.

He said this was because if there had been no rains, a strong stench of a decomposing body would have permeated the air, thereby drawing the attention of people. The resident said the discovery by the children had shocked the community and made them start questioning the state of safety. It is worth noting that the area in which the body was discovered is next to the road, but is filled with overgrown vegetation. Deputy Police Information and Communications Officer Inspector Nosipho Mnguni confirmed the discovery of the body. She said police were appealing to people who may have family members aged between 24 and 26 to contact the Matsapha police.

Mnguni said it was hard to identify the woman, given the state in which she was found. She appealed to the public to also assist them in finding the family of the deceased. The deputy PICO said the public may contact them through their toll-free number 999 or 9999. On the other hand, since the beginning of December 2021, police have posted photos of nine people seeking to locate them. Five of the people reported missing were females.

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