Plasma TV 'theft' leads to tragic death!

THE body of a man was found in a dam in the Marcus Garvey area on Saturday, 22 June, after he was beaten to death, allegedly by three women who accused him of stealing a Plasma TV.

Residents from the area said the man was taken from the street by three women on Friday, 21 June at night, and that was the last time he was seen alive.

A source close to the incident stated that the victim was taken to the Never Never Informal Settlement, where he was assaulted throughout the night.

His body was discovered in a nearby dam the following day.

"I was with him when the three women took him on the street where we were sitting. I didn't bother following them because we knew the women, so I told him I was not going with them. I overheard them saying they wanted him to show them where he sold their Plasma TV," said the friend of the deceased.

The man said he went to Never Never to the house of the woman who had taken his friend, but when he arrived there, the door was closed. He said he knocked, but no one opened, but the lights were on.

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"I peeped through the gap in the door, and saw one of the women drinking alcohol, sitting on a chair, but I couldn't see my friend.

"I went to his family and informed them about it, but I only found his grandmother at home. So, they couldn't do anything at night," said the 25-year-old friend.

The body of the dead, a 22-year-old man, was found by a passerby the following day, and police were called to the scene.

Police spokesman, Captain Frederick Van Wyk, confirmed the incident.

He said the body was discovered by a passerby on Saturday, 22 June, around 10.10am. The passerby then alerted the police.

"The body was retrieved by divers attached to the SAPS Water Policing Section and handed over to Forensic Pathology Services. An autopsy will be conducted to determine possible cause of death. Motive for the crime forms part of an ongoing investigation surrounding circumstances of the discovery.

"Meanwhile, persistence and further investigation led the investigating team to a residence in the same neighbourhood of Marcus Garvey, where they took in two females of interest, aged 40 and 32, for questioning. Investigation continues," said Van Wyk.