Sakhile Mokoena

Sakhile Mokoena

Herdboys from a Mpumalanga village discovered the badly mutilated body of a young woman on Thursday.

The body, the second to have been found sexually mutilated in the area, was found in the bushes in Ludlow village, Bushbuckridge.

Police are still trying to locate the dead woman's relatives. Police spokesman Robert Makhubele said they discovered two used condoms next to the body.

"We suspect she might have been raped before being killed," said Makhubele.

Police believe the woman, estimated to be between 17 and 21, was killed two days before her body was found.

Police are investigating a murder case. Makhubele said the police had not ruled out the possibility of a ritual killing.

This gruesome incident is not the first of its kind to shock the community of Bushbuckridge.

The body of Advice Mashaba was found buried in a policeman's yard last December. A postmortem later revealed that her breasts, lips and eyes were missing. Anyone with information should contact their nearest police station.