The community of Kingsway in Benoni, Ekurhuleni, has been plunged into a state of fear and anger following the gruesome discovery of the mutilated body of 26-year-old Palesa Sediso.
On May 1, a waste recycler discovered Sediso’s torso dumped near a local school. At the time of the discovery, her head, hand, and legs had been hacked off and were missing, prompting residents to launch a massive manhunt across the kasi to locate the remains.
The search has yielded partial results. A severed hand was recovered last week, and on Sunday, May 10, two additional limbs were found in a drain. Ekurhuleni district police spokeswoman Captain Neldah Sekgobela confirmed that a murder case is being investigated, and the recovered body parts have been sent to a forensic lab for DNA testing to verify if they belong to Sediso.
Despite these discoveries, Sediso’s head remains missing, leaving her family unable to hold a funeral.
“I appeal to seers or izangoma to help me find my daughter’s body parts,” said Florence Sediso, the victim’s mother. “I’m heartbroken. I can’t bury my daughter with some parts missing. I want to bury her with dignity. I also wish she could fight for herself and bring her killers to justice.”
Florence Sediso is also appealing to the public for donations of clothing and food to support Palesa’s children.
The brutality of the crime has drawn attention from local officials and organizations. The ANC Women’s League visited the family and pledged assistance with burial costs. Lindiwe Mnguni, the Ekurhuleni MMC for Transport and Roads, visited the family alongside Councillor Sipho Ngobese and Keitumetse Sediso.
Mnguni expressed deep shock over the killing, noting that while gender-based violence (GBV) has been declared a national disaster, it continues to persist. “Palesa didn’t deserve this,” Mnguni said.
Palesa’s younger brother, Keitumetse Sediso, described his sister as being deeply troubled in her final days. He told the Daily Sun that Palesa claimed to have seen something that “shocked her to the core,” but she dashed to a local tavern to drink before she could explain further. He noted that her increased drinking during her final days indicated that “something was eating her up.”
The incident has revived fears of a pattern of violence in the area. Community leader Khosi Hlongwane revealed that a similar decapitation case occurred in Kingsway last year. In response, local women are planning a mass prayer meeting to fight what Hlongwane described as “evil spirits” in the area, stating, “We can’t fold our arms and allow these evil spirits to overpower us.”
Potential Next Steps
The investigation is likely to depend on the results of the DNA testing currently being conducted at the forensic lab. If the recovered limbs are confirmed to be Palesa Sediso’s, it may provide police with further forensic evidence regarding the nature of the crime. The family’s ability to proceed with burial arrangements remains contingent on the discovery of the victim’s head.