Mystery surrounds the discovery of a lifeless body under the busy Mvudi bridge next to the Sasol garage at the entrance to the Thohoyandou CBD.
The body, believed to be that of an elderly person in his 60s, was discovered by a passerby, who alerted the police on Saturday at around 11:00. The man is widely believed to have used the area under the bridge as his home as some of his belongings were found at the scene.
Shortly after the discovery, the area was swarming with curious onlookers. The deceased was later positively identified as Mr Mandy Mulaudzi (66), who hailed from Muledane village, by his sister. The deceased had no visible injuries.
Vhembe SAPS spokesperson W/O Vuledzani Dathi confirmed the discovery of the body. "We have since opened an inquest docket to determine the cause of death, and investigations continue," he said. The local ward councillor, Tshitereke Nelushi, who is also a resident of Muledane, arrived at the scene.
He expressed sympathy and condolences to the family. "This is very concerning for us as leaders of this community. This bridge is turning into a dumping area for dead bodies. This is shocking. This is not the first time dead people were found here. We urge the police to keep an eye on the area as we have been reliably informed that criminals are using it for their activities," he said.