The decomposed body of a man was discovered on the roof of the Hazyview Police Station on Wednesday night, June 25.

The body was only retrieved the following morning, June 26, due to poor lighting conditions at the time of its discovery.

The Mpumalanga police spokesperson, Brigadier Donald Mdhluli, said for the past three weeks, an “awful stench” had been noticed around the station, prompting a search on Wednesday to locate the source, initially suspected to be rats or an animal.

“Upon searching the roof, the body was found. Police suspect the deceased may have been electrocuted to death, as tools were found next to the body and some roof tiles had been removed, indicating possible involvement in cable theft,” he said.

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Mdhluli emphasised that this would form part of the ongoing investigation into the matter.

The retrieval of the body was delayed until the next morning to ensure proper procedures were followed, with all the necessary stakeholders present.

The deceased’s identity is currently unknown. The SAPS urges members of the public with any information that may assist in identifying the man to come forward and visit the Hazyview Police Station.

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An inquest case has been opened, and due to the incident occurring on police premises, the Independent Police Investigative Directorate will be conducting its own investigation.