POLICE OPEN INQUEST AFTER HUMAN REMAINS FOUND AT MANGWELE MOUNTAIN, SILOAM
POLOKWANE – The police in Limpopo have opened an inquest docket following the discovery of human remains at Mangwele Mountain in the Siloam policing area, under Vhembe District, on Monday, 01 December 2025.
Police were alerted at around 12:45 when the Community Service Centre (CSC) Commander received information from a community member reporting the sighting of a skull and bones on the mountain. Siloam SAPS members immediately responded and were guided by the community to the exact location of the discovery.
Upon arrival at the scene, police found a decomposed skull, scattered bones, clothing items, a black purse, a handbag, an ID card, and a cellphone hidden under a large stone. All relevant stakeholders, including the SAPS Local Criminal Record Centre (LCRC), were activated.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the items at the scene appeared to belong to a resident of Tshiheni Village, who was reported missing in September 2022. A missing person enquiry had been opened at Siloam SAPS at the time of her disappearance.
A family member, positively identified the clothing and ID card as those of her mother. The skull and bones were collected by the LCRC for DNA analysis to conclusively confirm the identity of the deceased.
Police investigations are ongoing to determine the circumstances surrounding the death.
