Police are probing the mysterious death of a man whose body was dumped along a busy road in Hanover Park.
The body of Mervin ‘Zane’ October, 44, was found behind a tree on Hanover Park Avenue, on Sunday which left mense confused.
Shortly after 1pm, a klomp residents gathered at the scene where Zane’s girlfriend could be seen crying as cops surrounded his lifeless body.
Initial reports indicated that October had been shot and dumped but police now say he was stabbed to death.
A relative of his girlfriend, who asked not to be named, says October had only been living in Hanover Park for eight months and they are desperately trying to trace his family.
“He is from Stellenbosch and recently embraced Islam and is now known as Zane,” the 38-year-old relative explains.
“[Zane and his girlfriend] lived together and on Sunday we were at home when the neighbours came to tell us.
“They told us that he was shot five times in the head but when we got there, I could only see wounds on his chest but then the police closed his body.”
According to residents on the scene, October was not killed on Hanover Park Avenue but a group of men were spotted dumping his body after he had been killed.
Police spokesperson Joseph Swartbooi confirms: “Philippi police attended to a complaint and upon arrival at the scene in Hanover Park Avenue at around 1.25pm, they found the body of a 44-year-old man who sustained a stab wound.
“The victim was declared deceased on the scene by the medical personnel.
“The suspect/s are yet to be arrested. Philippi police are investigating a case of murder.”
The relative says they are unsure of what led up to the attack but had heard rumours that October was hanging around with dodgy ouens.
“To our knowledge he was not a gangster but we heard that he was walking with the wrong crowd.
“Our biggest problem is that we cannot bury him as we do not have an ID document and all we know is that his family is in Stellenbosch and we cannot bury him without them,” the relative adds.
The family of October is asked to call 067 345 7619.
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