Durban - Police are looking for a man they believe can help them in an investigation into which the body of a decomposed woman was found in a ceiling.
The discovery was made Tuesday morning in a ceiling of a house in Minnaar Street in Balfour.
Police spokesperson Brigadier Selvy Mohlala said police received a complaint of a bad odour coming from a house in the area of Balfour.
“On arrival, police found a woman who indicated that she has moved into the said house about a month ago to stay with the father of her child,” said Mohlala.
He said police began checking the house in order to determine where the odour was coming from.
“At first, the ceiling trapdoor did not show clearly what was inside. However the members proceeded to the next room and broke the ceiling, where they made a discovery of a human body wrapped with some clothes.
“Emergency Services personnel were summoned to the scene. However, the body was in a decomposed state, to such an extent that the gender of the person could not be identified.”
Mohlala said it was later established through the shoes that the victim was wearing as well as the nail polish and other features that the body was that of a female person.
The woman in the house told police that when she asked her partner about the odour, he said it was “due to rats”.
“When she was asked on the whereabouts of her companion, the woman indicated that she last saw him on October 1, when he said he was going to pay accounts.”
Police believe that Thabo Silas Tsotetsi can assist police in their investigation.
Anyone with information that may help in the investigation has been asked to contact Detective Sergeant Moeketsi Mofokeng at 072 351 3801 or call the Crime Stop number at 0860 010 111.
SAPS Provincial Commissioner in Mpumalanga Lieutenant General Semakaleng Daphney Manamela has condemned the incident.
"This is really heartbreaking for a woman to be murdered and her body being concealed in such a manner. We strongly suspect that this is another gender-based violence incident but hope and trust that anyone behind this murder will feel the full might of the law.“
IOL