THE relatives of a man from Nkonkotho, Dumbe, whose body was found floating in a lake on Saturday, want to look closely at the suspect.
The body of Mr. Sphamandla “Mbhobo” Sibiya (41) was just found, and it will be a month without knowing where he is, as he was kept on May 18, crying, and taken from home by unknown people.
According to a source who asked not to be named, the suspect is a neighbor who is known to the family as it is said that when he was taken by the people, it was just over a week ago that he had been threatened with death by a neighbor with whom he was not involved in a cattle dispute.
“And for a long time, the neighbor provoked the deceased. He used to let his cows do what they wanted in the deceased’s field. He was taken by people, he had just fenced, the neighbor showed his disgust at that,” said the source.
He said that the neighbor threatened him that he would kill the deceased, and after a week, he was attacked by people, who came and took him away.
“It is said that his younger sister heard him shouting a little, and when he went out, he saw a car coming to meet us. When we looked, it was clear that he was being taken,” said the source.
He said that the deceased has not been found for weeks, and no trace has emerged.
“It was until Saturday, when another relative found him. We also found him because we were going hunting, walking with dogs. They were the ones who pointed out where his body was floating,” said the source, who said the man then went back to inform the family.
He said that the condition in which the deceased was found was bad as he had wounds, it shows that he was stabbed several times, with a hole on one side and coming out on the other, which is suspected to have been shot.
“He had a rope hanging around his neck, we don’t know if he was strangled with it. He was badly injured on his back, it shows that he was dragged by a car. He also had scars that show that he was beaten severely,” explained the source.
He said what hurts them is that they know the person who injured the deceased, he said this man, who he said is feared because he is dangerous, is a threatening person and his threats have results.
“As he told the deceased to cut down and look because he knows how to kill a person, that really happened. When the body was found, he threatened another relative, saying that he can make a pile of soil in someone’s house. He added that just as he did to the deceased’s house. This painted a clear picture that he was the one who killed the deceased,” he said.
The source said that the family wishes they could take up this trail that reveals the neighbor as a suspect, especially because it is not the first time that he has threatened the family and someone has been killed.
“There are two other relatives of the deceased, who were killed separately in the past years. That is where he is blamed as they were killed long ago and threatened by him,” said the source.
KwaZulu-Natal police spokesperson, Colonel Robert Netshiunda, said the Paulpietersburg police opened a case of murder following the discovery of a man’s body floating in the Nkongolwane river on Saturday.
“The deceased was reported missing since May 18, 2026. His body was found with multiple stab wounds. The cause of his death is still unknown,” said Netshiunda.