Families want remains of men who were allegedly murdered on a farm in Evander area

The families of Sthembiso Mnikathi (33) and Buhlebuyeza Ximba (35) are still in the dark as to where the rest of their remains are.

These men were reported missing in Leandra last June, but the SAPS transferred the missing persons case to Kinross before it ended up with the Evander SAPS. The police received a tip-off about alleged burnt bodies buried on a farm in the Evander area.

Police said at the time that they had found a human brain wrapped in a plastic bag buried on a farm in the Evander area, as well as human remains elsewhere on the farm.

The bail hearing of the two farmers arrested on January 18 regarding the men’s disappearance continued in the Evander Magistrate’s Court on February 13.

Investigating officer Sergeant Steven Tshehla, who previously testified that the police were told the missing men were run over, shot, their bodies burnt, and their remains disposed of somewhere in the Delmas area, returned to the stand to testify.

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During cross-examination, Tshehla told the court that the test on the “partial” brain to determine if it was a human was inconclusive. The other remains referenced blood on the grass on the farm. The DNA from this blood is that of Mnikathi and Ximba.

Farmers Abraham de la Rey (52) and Arthur Underhay (39) face charges of murder, violating a corpse, defeating the course of justice and intimidation.

Their attorney told the court that De la Rey is a farmer who contributes immensely to the SA’s economy, and while he is in custody, his business faces many challenges.

The attorney also said his client has many employees who could lose their jobs if he remained in custody. He told the court that his client has many properties in the country, which is part of the exceptional circumstances for the court to grant him bail.

De la Rey also claimed ill health. The court postponed their bail hearing to February 20, and De la Rey and Underhay were remanded in custody.

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Outside the court proceedings, the family of Mnikathi and Ximba told Ridge Times they want to know where their remains are to give them a proper burial.

“We don’t care if we have to go to the Delmas area to perform our cultural rituals. It has been seven months since they disappeared, and we were shocked to hear their bodies were allegedly taken to Demas after being burnt. If they were buried there, we ask to be taken there,” a family member said.

“Our grandmothers are still grieving back home in KwaZulu-Natal, hoping to find their children’s bodies. We have still not been told where their bodies are buried,” said another family member.

They told Ridge Times that Mnikathi and Ximba have children asking why their fathers no longer come home for their usual monthly visits.

“How do we answer this?” they asked.

* The article has been updated to reflect the correct spelling of one of the accused’s name.