Durban - A Mariannhill man who was reported missing by his family after he was taken into custody by police last month, has been found dead.
Sihle Mthare, 27, of KwaSanti, was allegedly taken from his uncle’s home in Dassenhoek, Mariannhill by men who identified themselves as the police on August 21.
A Mariannhill police officer has been arrested in connection with the case and is expected to appear in the Pinetown Magistrate’s Court on Monday (September 12).
When Mthare first went missing, his mother Sebenzile Phungula said she went to the Mariannhill police station to find out about his arrest but there was no sign of her son.
She said after searching on her own at various police stations, which had no record of her son’s arrest, she returned to the Mariannhill police station where a case of kidnapping was opened. Due to the involvement of the police, the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) took over the case.
Phungula said after they posted about his disappearance on Facebook a man who was also arrested by Mariannhill Saps on that same night said he recalled seeing Mthare at the station.
“He told me that he didn’t know my son nor did he know the police officer that brought him but he could identify him.”
She said the man was able to identify the police officer and when questioned about Mthare’s arrest he denied ever arresting him.
Phungula said she and some community members spent numerous days protesting outside Mariannhill Police station until Wednesday last week.
“We decided to stop protesting and started praying, we then got a call from an investigator from Ipid who told us that my son was found, however he was dead.
“We went to the place where he was thrown, we got there as they were removing him from a huge concrete pipe in Cato Ridge.”
Ipid confirmed to The Mercury on Sunday that a sergeant from the Mariannhill police station had been arrested for the alleged kidnapping and murder of Mthare.
“The Ipid investigation led to the discovery of the deceased’s body which was hidden under the storm water pipe. Ipid was assisted by the SAPS Search and Rescue Unit, SAPS Mariannhill and the National Intervention Unit.
“The Ipid investigation is continuing with a possibility of more arrests.”