Police dig up body at Groot Aub

GROOT Aub’s community was shocked yesterday when the body of a 59-year-old resident was found buried in a shallow grave, about 100 metres from the houses.

Police were called in to exhume the body of a man who went missing on Monday morning after he had left home to get sand for a family construction project.

Although knows the man’s identity, it cannot be disclosed because his next of kin had not been officially informed of his death by late yesterday. According to a close family source, the man’ wife, who had reported him missing at the police post on Monday, found his bakkie parked under some trees, about 20 metres away from where the shallow grave was found.

The source said she then called the police, and a team from Windhoek was sent to the small settlement, about 60 kilometres from the capital.

When arrived at the scene, the police had not yet exhumed the body and the residents gathered a distance away, while the wife was inconsolable.

The police had to keep her away from getting close to the scene where the body was being exhumed because the forensics unit was busy.

The body was still fully clothed when it was pulled out of the shallow grave, where it was covered with sand.

Some officers combed the bakkie, where they found a blood-smeared shovel on top of the sand, and retrieved a blue and white shirt believed to have belonged to the deceased.

The keys of the bakkie were in the ignition, while the doors were not locked.

A neighbour, Jan Stumpfe, said the man was humble, and had a lovely personality. Stumpfe added that the family moved to the settlement about four years ago.

Police spokesperson deputy commissioner Edwin Kanguatjivi confirmed yesterday that they had dug up a body, and that some officers were still busy at the scene.

“Details are sketchy at the moment, but I can confirm that a body of a man was found buried at Groot Aub,” Kanguatjivi said.

A source, however, said that police suspect that the bakkie might have been driven to the scene early yesterday morning because the tyre treads were still fresh.