No arrests have been made in the murder of two men whose headless bodies were also found with their hands and feet hacked off in the Avontuur area near Middelburg in Mpumalanga on Friday.

Middelburg Observer reports a farm worker stumbled across the mutilated bodies during a patrol following a barrage of shots heard just after midnight. Neighbours said the shots sounded like 9mm weapons being fired. Attempts to contact the farm owner, who was in Durban at the time, confirmed the murders occurred on his property.

Photos provided to the Middelburg Observer suggest that the murders did not take place in the locked farmhouse but outside the property.

Family comes forward

Meanwhile, a Mozambican family has come forward claiming that one of the deceased may be a relative. DNA testing will now be cross-referenced with samples from the victim and family members.

Both victims remain unidentified, as fingerprints and dental impressions could not be taken. Only DNA matches will formally confirm their identities.

Suspects questioned

Three Malawian nationals were taken in for questioning hours after the bodies were discovered on Friday morning. They were detained but not charged with the murders; they have, however, been charged with contravening immigration laws.

The farm worker had been ordered to patrol the farm thoroughly after neighbours informed the owner of the bloodshed during early-morning telephone conversations.

Evidence of execution

The bodies were dragged through a game fence into dense bushveld. Police found drag marks and blood evidence suggesting the men may have been executed before being discarded. A tree on the farm was also riddled with bullet holes.

The victims’ heads, hands and feet have not been found despite a wide search. The farm owner’s daughter and her partner, who live on the farm, were out of town at the time of the murders.

The farm owner has returned to Middelburg and is assisting police with their ongoing investigations.

Motive still unclear

Both victims had their heads removed at the shoulders, and their hands and feet were cleanly hacked off, which police believe was done to hide their identities.

The Middelburg Observer also learnt that more than 15 animal traps had been set in the area shortly before the murders. Property owners enlisted Wildlife Investigation & Protection Services to track and identify additional traps.

The motive for the killings remains unclear. Police urge anyone with information to come forward.

• The Middelburg Observer is withholding the farm number and owner’s identity for safety reasons.

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