Bones in bed! – Man digs up dad and grandpa, sleeps with skeletons

Nelspruit – A 29-year-old man has been arrested in connection with a disturbing incident in which he allegedly exhumed the graves of his father and grandfather in Swalala, near White River in Mpumalanga.

According to police spokesperson Brigadier Donald Mdhluli, the incident came to light on Monday, 28 April 2025, when a woman walked into the Masoyi Police Station at around 13:30 to report that two adjacent graves at a local cemetery had been tampered with. The graves were confirmed to belong to the suspect’s father and grandfather, who were buried in 2010.

Officers from the Masoyi Visible Policing Unit immediately responded to the scene and verified that the graves had indeed been dug up. A manhunt was launched, and the suspect was tracked down to his home in the RDP section of Swalala.

“In a shocking turn of events, the suspect was found asleep in his bed with bones believed to be from the graves, positioned next to him,” said  Mdhluli.

#sapsMP #SAPS Masoyi arrested a 29yr-old male suspect on 28/04 on a charge of violation of graves after he was found with the skeletal remains of his father and grandfather. The man dug up two adjacent graves at a cemetery in Swalala in Masoyi near White River. These graves were… pic.twitter.com/OSpIp6TYM4

— SA Police Service 🇿🇦 (@SAPoliceService) April 29, 2025

“Police immediately took the suspect into custody and have charged him with violation of the graves.

“The bones were confiscated and are now part of the ongoing investigation being conducted by the SAPS.”

The suspect is expected to appear in the Masoyi Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday, 30 April 2025.

The Acting Provincial Commissioner of SAPS in Mpumalanga, Major General (Dr) Zeph Mkhwanazi, has strongly condemned the act, describing it as “horrendous,” and thanked the member of the public who reported the crime.