Eight arrested after 3 men found burnt beyond recognition

31 March 2020 - 10:47
By Iavan Pijoos
The burnt truck that was found near the charred bodies.
Image: Saps The burnt truck that was found near the charred bodies.

Limpopo police have arrested eight people after the charred remains of three men were found in a village outside Groblersdal.

Police spokesperson Col Moatshe Ngoepe said the group were arrested in Mpheleng and Naganeng villages on Sunday.

They appeared in the Mdutjana Magistrate's Court on Monday facing charges of kidnapping and murder.

Llu Time Lebotse, 29, Bethuel Lentsoane, 31, Thabo Maile, 33, Jefrey Mashifane, 38, Godfrey Phasha, 41, Piet Mashabela, 51, Solly Ramoshaba, 55 and Sarah Selahle, 72, were denied bail and the case was postponed to April 17.

The arrests followed after the bodies of Owen Ncube, 31, Salos Sithole, 23, and Lovemore Basera, 20, were found by a passer-by in a bush around Naganeng village in the Dennilton  earlier this month.

They were burnt beyond recognition and a burnt out Hyundai truck  was next to them.

“It is suspected that the deceased were severely assaulted before they were burned as there were several stones found around the scene,” Ngoepe said at the time.