Mutilated bodies of alleged cable thieves thrown in dam

Boksburg North police are probing the death of two suspected cable thieves. Picture: Kat Wilcox/Pexels

The Passenger Rail Agency of SA (Prasa) is embroiled in a gruesome double murder case after the severely mutilated bodies of two men were found floating in a Gauteng dam.

A police investigative report from Boksburg North SAPS, which The Star has seen, shows officers from Hlanganani Security Services contracted to guard Ravensklip train station in Ekurhuleni allegedly killed the two suspected cable thieves, stripped them naked, tied their hands together and dumped them in Witfield Dam.

Hlanganani is allegedly liable for two murders and one attempted murder charge, after one of the alleged thieves got away and is in serious condition in hospital, a well-placed source said.

Both men are believed to have been killed on October 7 and their bodies discovered on the morning of October 10, with the police report dated October 16.

Bongani Busakwe, the father of 21-year-old Anganathi, one of the men ditched in the dam, revealed the harrowing state he found his son in when the family went to identify the body at the mortuary.

“They (Hlanganani officers) cut off his lips (Anganathi’s), his right ear had been severed and he had scores of ghastly gashes all over his body,” a distraught Busakwe said.

“What was worse was that my son was brutally butchered in his face and the top of his head, as if those assailants were trying to slaughter him,” the father added.

Prasa said it was “shocked to learn of this allegation against members of its contracted security company, Hlanganani Security”, and that it would like to give space to law-enforcement agencies to conduct a thorough investigation into the matter.

The state-owned company said: “There is a contract between Prasa and Hlanganani, and the clause for any transgression will be invoked should the investigation reveal Hlanganani acted in a manner that deviates from standard practice or in an illegal manner.

“Prasa has mandated its investigators to work with police investigators on this matter to establish the facts around the circumstances that led to the alleged incident.

“We will wait for the investigations report, which will enable us to take an informed decision,” Prasa said.

Hlanganani, responding through its lawyers from Victor Nkhwashu Attorneys, confirmed that it was aware of the case opened against its officers, and said that the security firm was co-operating with the police.

“As a result, our client will not comment on the allegations, which are under investigation, so as not to compromise the integrity of the investigation in this case,” the law firm said.

On Friday, The Star contacted Gauteng police spokesperson Brigadier Mathapelo Peters, who indicated that she would respond to questions.

But Sunday, Peters said she was still awaiting information on the matter, and that she would respond on Monday.