Passage of death takes Khothatso!

THE area is poorly lit and has several passages.

Thugs have taken to creeping around in these passages, preying on unsuspecting residents who travel through the area.

On Sunday, 28 July, the community of Bekkersdal, Gauteng was horrified to discover two of their own brutally murdered.

The bodies were found a short distance from each other, yet on the same street.

Both victims have been identified. The locals attribute these evil acts to the dark, secluded passages.

"It's apparent that the victims were ambushed in these passages and attempted to escape, only to succumb a few metres away," a resident said.

One of the dead men is Khothatso Lesesa (37). His girlfriend, who chose to remain anonymous, recounted their last moments together on Saturday night, sharing drinks in their shack.

She explained that Khothatso stepped out as if to relieve himself and tragically never returned. Due to the darkness, she was too frightened to search for him.

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It appears Khothatso ventured out and was navigating through one of the notorious passages when he was assaulted and stabbed.

He collapsed not far from a passage entrance and was discovered the following morning, dead in the icy sewerage water.

Charmaine Kikine, a grief-stricken mum, found her murdered son's underwater in what she described as a river of filth, bearing multiple stab wounds.

"That was a harrowing sight, and I implored my son to find his killers. My son died like a stray dog," she said.

The family of the other victim, Sibusiso Nkosi, has declined to speak to Daily Sun.

Bekkersdal has long been plagued by crime. In response, residents have protested against the rampant criminal activity, ineffective sewage systems, neglected refuse collection, and declining infrastructure.

West Rand district police spokesman Captain Solomon Sibiya confirmed that investigations into the two murder cases are underway.