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By Itumeleng Mafisa

Digital Journalist


Man left dead outside Westbury church identified as kidnapped businessman

Police have revealed that the man found dumped in an open coffin in Westbury this week was kidnapped in Mpumalanga.


Gauteng police have confirmed that a man found dead outside a Westbury church on Thursday was a Mpumalanga businessman who had been kidnapped.

Family in Joburg to identify body

According to Gauteng provincial police spokesperson Col Mavela Masondo the man was taken earlier this month.

“His family from Mpumalanga were at the Hillbrow mortuary on Thursday afternoon to identify his body. We can confirm that this is a man that was kidnapped in Mpumalanga,” he said.

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Masondo said police are investigating the cause of the death.

“We are looking into the matter together with the police from Mpumalanga,” he said.

The motive for his death is not yet clear.

ACDP councillor Ronald Harris, who was among those that reported the body outside the church, called on the police to find the culprits behind the murder.

“We hope the police find those that are behind this and we know that he was not killed in Westbury but it is traumatising to an already traumatised community to just dump a body like this,” he said.

ALSO READ: Pastor finds dead body in makeshift coffin outside his church

CORRECTION: A previous version of this story included the name Kamlesh Singh who also went missing in Mpumalanga earlier this month. The businessman below is not Mr Singh. We regret any distress this may have caused.

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