Man 'kills, buries' his grandpa (75)

Mpumalanga police have exhumed the body of a 75-year-old man who was killed and buried in a shallow grave at the back of his house, allegedly by his 22-year-old grandson.

According to police, the murder – which has shocked the community of Swalala Trust in Masoyi, near Hazyview – happened on Monday after the old man reprimanded him for bringing different girlfriends to the house.

“We have arrested a 22-year-old man on a charge of murder and concealment of a corpse. This came after the young man who had an argument with his grandfather, beat him up and pushed him towards the door and the old man fell and died. He then buried him in a shallow grave behind his bedroom,” said police spokesperson Brig Selvy Mohlala.

“Preliminary investigations suggest that the two had an argument when the old man reprimanded the young man about [bringing] multiple partners to the house.

“The discovery [of the body] came after the deceased’s son called him and could not get hold of him on the phone. He then decided to go to his house, that’s when the suspect confessed [to the killing] after being questioned,” said Mohlala.

The identities of the old man, the grandson and a relative have been withheld as the suspect is yet to appear in court.

The old man's son said his father was a good person. “I’m shattered. We left him with his grandson and believed they were going to live in harmony,” he said, adding that he grew worried when he could not get hold of his father on the phone. 

“I decided to come to the house. When I got here, I asked him [ the suspect] where my father was, and he said he didn't know. I broke the door, but I couldn't find him in the house. When I went outside, I saw freshly dug ground and asked him [suspect] why the ground was dug.”

He said the suspect initially told him he had been harvesting cassava, but when he went closer for inspection, the suspect confessed what had transpired.

The police were then called.

Neighbours were shocked by the incident.

Mohlala said the suspect was expected to appear in the Masoyi magistrate's court on Friday to face charges of murder, concealment of a corpse and defeating the ends of justice.

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