Durban - A 21-year-old man is in police custody after leading detectives to his friend’s headless body in a forest in Isonti, KwaZulu- Natal police said.
Nawaaz Khan, 23, of Gandhinagar, Umzinto, went missing on October 31 and a missing person’s enquiry was registered with the Umzinto SAPS.
All efforts to find him proved futile.
It was alleged that he was last seen in the company of a close friend, police said.
This weekend, while being interviewed by detectives, the friend broke down and led them to a forest in neighbouring Isonti.
Khan’s headless body was found lying in the bushes.
It is alleged that Khan’s friend had consulted a traditional healer who requested a human head so that he could help resolve his problems. The traditional healer and Khan’s friend lured Khan to the crime scene in Isonti.
While there, Khan was attacked with a bush knife and beheaded. His cellphones, clothing and takkies were taken by his attackers.
Neither the head nor the bush knife has been recovered as yet.
A 21-year-old suspect is in police custody and was expected to appear in the Umzinto Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday.
He made a full confession to police on Monday.
Police have launched a manhunt for the traditional healer.
Police said they were hopeful that his arrest would lead to the victim’s head and the murder weapon being recovered.
Two more people have been taken in for questioning. Each allegedly bought one of Khan’s cellphones.
KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Lieutenant General Mmamonnye Ngobeni commended the police on the arrest of the suspect.
“We strongly believe that the arrest of the alleged traditional healer is imminent. It is totally unacceptable that such cases are continuously being reported. We urge members of the community not to follow instructions of such merciless traditional healers but to rather report them to police,” she said.
IOL