The reasons surrounding the death of a man wrenched from the jaws of a crocodile in KwaZulu-Natal's Enseleni River last week were still being investigated on Wednesday, police said.
The body of 28-year-old Michael Xaba's body was found last Friday, still in the reptile's jaws, with his hands and feet bound, spokeswoman Captain Debbie Ferreira said.
According to the Daily Sun, visitors at the Enseleni Nature Reserve alerted authorities when they saw the body in the crocodile's jaws.
Ferreira said Xaba was identified by his fingerprints at the Richards Bay police station.
"His family also came to the police station because he was missing and they identified the body."
His employer, Alpha Security and Patrols, suggested he may have been thrown to the crocodiles.
"He was killed. It had to do with a personal issue," head of the company, Pierre Conradie told Sapa.
Xaba had worked at Alpha Security from 2007 and was awarded the "Guard of the Month" award for March 2009. Conradie described him as a "really good guy".
According to the Daily Sun, an unnamed police spokesman said Xaba was due to give evidence in several court cases. However, neither Conradie nor Ferreira could confirm whether there were such cases.
"It is unclear whether is was work-related. He was not due to testify for the company in any major crime trials," Conradie said.
District Surgeon Dr Frank van Niekerk said the cause of death had not yet been determined.
"The victim's skull was badly flattened and his jaw was broken. He certainly could not have survived those injuries," he told the Daily Sun. - Sapa