MISSING MAN FOUND BURIED

NEARLY three weeks after a man’s disappearance from his home in Sweet Home Farm, his decomposed body was found dumped in a Philippi construction site.

Samora Machel Ward Councillor Lungisa Somdaka told the Daily Voice that Luthando “Chocolate” Lento disappeared after he failed to return to his home in Sweet Home Farm near Samora Machel.

Somdaka said that mense became concerned and alerted community leaders to his disappearance and marched to Phillippi police station where a missing persons report was opened.

The community then formed a search party to find Chocolate which led them to a construction site at the back of a farm near his home on 30 May.

Somdaka explained: “We stopped the work until the body was found.

“One of the farm owners instructed the workers to take the digger loaders to search around the place we suspected where the body was buried.

“We went to search at this location because there were males who were instructed by the farm’s management to fetch Chocolate from his home, but he never came back. 

“These males then told the community rumours that Chocolate was murdered there by the farmer and directed the community to where he was murdered.”

His family members were on the scene when his body was dug up and despite relief that their Chocolate had been found.

Police spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel Malcolm Pojie said: “We can confirm that Philippi SAPS opened an inquest docket for further investigation following the discovery of a body of an adult male on a farm in the policing precinct on Friday, 30 May 2025, by a member of the community who formed part of a search party which was established to search for a man who was reported missing at the Samora Machel police station, late last month.

“The partially decomposed body that was found under rubble and debris on the farm was identified on scene by family members as the person who was reported as missing at Samora Machel SAPS.

“An autopsy will be conducted during the week to determine the circumstances and possible cause of death.”