Decapitated boy drowned before mutilation

This was confirmed by Vryheid police spokesperson Major Vusumusi Mbatha after the autopsy was done by a Durban doctor, Newcastle Advertiser reported.

“Previously, we were investigating a case of murder,” said Mbatha.

“Currently, we are still waiting for DNA test results before consulting with the family on how we shall proceed.”

DNA tests were conducted to confirm the identity of the small body, as the head still has not been found.

The body is believed to be that of Khanyisani Khumalo (6), a Utrecht resident who was visiting his father when he went missing in December.

The young boy’s body was found decapitated and disembowelled near a river close to his father’s home.

Khumalo had lived with his mother and her family in Zimbuthu, a rural area just outside Utrecht, in northwestern KwaZulu-Natal.

Khumalo and his mother, Nomusa, a 31-year-old traditional healer, were visiting his father Zwelakhe Buthelezi (65), also a traditional healer, when he went missing.

Police said the exact cause of the mutilation is yet to be confirmed.

In August last year, the headless corpse of Desiree Murugan was discovered by municipal workers at the Shallcross Sports Stadium in Chatsworth, KwaZulu-Natal.

One of the suspects, Falakhe Khumalo (18), received a life sentence after pleading guilty in the Durban Regional Court.

In his statement, Khumalo reportedly said during consultation with a traditional healer, he was told to acquire the head of a female who was white, Indian or coloured.

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