Muti murder in Clewer, near Witbank, South Africa – suspect dies in police custody
Published on 22 March 2018 – 10:44
One of the men implicated in the killing of an elderly woman in Clewer near Witbank has died in police cells‚ said Mpumalanga police.
“The remains of a 65-year-old woman were found at Clewer near Witbank. Three men have been arrested in connection [with this]. However one of them collapsed and died while in police custody. An investigation is underway‚” said Brigadier Leonard Hlathi.
Further details on how the suspect died were not immediately available.
The victim‚ believed to be Aletha Maree‚ had been reported missing after her home was burgled on February 25‚ said the SA Crime Community Watch group.
“Many aspects however are leading us to believe that it will most likely be [the remains of Maree] that were found some nine kilometres from where SACCW earlier recovered some personal belongings of the missing person where a large search then took place‚” spokesperson Maureen Scheerpers said last week.
DNA tests were being conducted to verify the identity of the remains. Maree was believed to have to been killed as part of a muti ritual. Maree is one of three people from Witbank who have recently been killed in what is believed are muti-related killings.
Source: Sowetan Live, March 22, 2018
Witbank, renamed eMalahleni in 2006 is a city situated on the Highveld of Mpumalanga, South Africa. The name Witbank is Afrikaans for White Ridge.
Witbank was renamed eMalahleni in 2006.