Traditional healer and two men arrested in connection with the gruesome act. One is a son of the family's pastor

THE family of a man whose body was found without a head in a grave that had been tampered with last week in Lobaleng township in Makwassie, North West, were shocked to discover that the missing allegedly head was cut off by close neighbours.

Ezekiel Motloung, 42, was buried last week Saturday and two days after the burial a municipal worker alerted the family to the fact that the grave had been tampered with.

When they arrived at the grave with the police they found that the body's head had been cut off.

On Friday the police arrested a traditional healer and two men in connection with the gruesome act after a tip-off.

According to the family, the three suspects are well-known to them. They had attended the funeral and were very helpful during the funeral.

The traditional healer lives in the next street from the deceased's parental home.

One of the two men who allegedly dug the grave and desecrated the head is a son of the family's pastor.

Motloung's uncle, David Maleshane, said they were shocked when they discovered the suspects were actually very close to the family.

Maleshane said on Saturday they would also be burying Motloung's last child, who died on Friday night.

The family said they would rebury him after the forensic investigations were done.

Police spokesman Brigadier Thulani Ngubane said they were led to the traditional healer's house, where they discovered a head in a bucket wrapped in a plastic on the roof of his house.

"When the police opened the plastic bag, they discovered that the head had injuries and bruises on it," he said.

The three are expected to appear at the Wolmaransstad Magistrate's Court today.

- tshehleb@sowetan.co.za