Grim Discovery: Three Burnt Bodies Found Near R535, Police Probe Possible Kidnapping Links

• A chilling discovery was made after three bodies were found in a bush along the R535 between Hazyview and Graskop
• Police have opened a murder investigation and are working to identify the victims
• Authorities are also probing possible links to recent kidnapping cases, with one suspect already in custody

MPUMALANGA —Police in Mpumalanga have launched a murder investigation after a chilling discovery of three burnt bodies in dense bush along the R535 between Hazyview and Graskop on Tuesday, 22 April.

The grim discovery was made at approximately 10:00 in the morning prompting a swift response from law enforcement and forensic teams. The bodies were found burnt beyond recognition, making immediate identification impossible.

Mpumalanga Forensic Pathology Services are currently on the scene, collecting evidence and processing the remains as part of the ongoing investigation.

Police spokesperson briefed the media on the discovery

Police spokesperson Colonel Mavela Masondo briefed members of the media at the site, confirming that a case of murder has been opened.

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"People discovered three bodies that were burnt beyond recognition at about 10 in the morning. We have opened a murder case,” said Masondo.

He added that investigators are exploring a possible connection between the discovery and a recent kidnapping case reported in Nelspruit, where three individuals were abducted.

"We have an open case where three people were kidnapped in Nelspruit. At this stage, we are investigating whether the bodies found are linked to that case. We cannot confirm that yet,” Masondo explained.

Authorities are conducting DNA testing in an effort to identify the victims and determine whether they are linked to any reported missing persons.

A 29-year-old suspect has since been taken in for questioning as authorities work to establish what led to the killings.

"For now, we cannot divulge too much information as both cases are still under investigation,” he said.

Police have urged members of the public to come forward with any information that could assist in the investigation.

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Burnt bodies of a family of five found

In similar news, the decomposing, burnt bodies of a family of five were found in KwaZulu-Natal. Two of the bodies belonged to children, a two-year-old and a one-month-old. The police were alerted to the family's disappearance on 19 November, 2021 by a relative who reported them missing. Brigadier Jay Naicker, a spokesperson for the province's police service, said that two men who were caught in Elandskop have been brought in to be questioned in connection with this case. The suspects who were caught by the police are 25 and 27 years old.

Body of a burnt woman discovered in Waterloo

Briefly News reported that residents of a community in the Pretoria area are fearful that a serial killer may be on the loose following the discovery of a burned body of a woman. The body was discovered on 4 August 2025, at the Watloo Train Station, in Silverton, east of Pretoria. The latest discovery comes on the back of similar instances in the area over the past three months. The community was fearful as the latest discovery was the fourth burned body found in the vicinity in the past three months.

Proofreading by Kelly Lippke, copy editor at Briefly.co.za.

Source: Briefly News