Shange said with the help of community members, they continued to search for clues.
She said on Sunday they received messages which directed them to where to find the body parts.
“The messages were very specific, as they also told us we will find the head and the legs. The messages also made allegations, including that the child was killed by people in the community. The messages warned us that we must relocate.
“We didn't believe them at first, but after we went with police, who came with dogs, and we found the boy, that's when I believed everything,” said Shange.
Netshiunda said police in KwaDukuza opened a case of murder after the discovery of human body parts.
“The search for the missing body parts continues and investigations are under way to ascertain the identity of the recovered body parts,” he said.
Shange said the family is in pain.
“It’s hard for everyone and even worse for his mother. We are trying to be strong but it’s not easy losing a family member in such a manner.”
She called for the swift arrest of the culprit/s and said she hoped the family would be able to learn the motive for the gruesome crime.
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Head and legs found in KwaZulu-Natal after disappearance of boy, 7
Image: Supplied
The family of a missing seven-year-old boy fear he was beheaded after the discovery of body parts in the Ntshawini area near KwaDukuza (Stanger), north of Durban.
The legs and head of a corpse were found in a stream and bushes on Sunday afternoon.
KwaZulu-Natal police spokesperson Col Robert Netshiunda said tests are needed to confirm the identity of the victim.
Philasande Shange went missing last Thursday afternoon.
According to the family, the grade 2 pupil was last seen with a neighbour who sent him to a nearby tuck shop. He returned with the onions she had asked him to buy and left, but never made it home.
Ntombi Shange, his aunt, said since it was raining heavily on Thursday, they thought he spent a night at a neighbour’s house or with his extended family. She said they looked for him on Friday and after an unsuccessful search contacted the police.
Police intensify search for 7-year-old who disappeared on Christmas Eve
Shange said with the help of community members, they continued to search for clues.
She said on Sunday they received messages which directed them to where to find the body parts.
“The messages were very specific, as they also told us we will find the head and the legs. The messages also made allegations, including that the child was killed by people in the community. The messages warned us that we must relocate.
“We didn't believe them at first, but after we went with police, who came with dogs, and we found the boy, that's when I believed everything,” said Shange.
Netshiunda said police in KwaDukuza opened a case of murder after the discovery of human body parts.
“The search for the missing body parts continues and investigations are under way to ascertain the identity of the recovered body parts,” he said.
Shange said the family is in pain.
“It’s hard for everyone and even worse for his mother. We are trying to be strong but it’s not easy losing a family member in such a manner.”
She called for the swift arrest of the culprit/s and said she hoped the family would be able to learn the motive for the gruesome crime.
TimesLIVE
Support independent journalism by subscribing to the Sunday Times. Just R20 for the first month.
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