DELFT SOUTH residents gathered at an open field on Thursday after a body, burned beyond recognition, was discovered with a burnt tyre lying on top of it.
The discovery was made at about 9am in an open field parallel to Hindle Road, Delft South, after a resident reported the remains to police. By the time officers arrived and began combing the area, people from the surrounding community had gathered near the scene, where the body lay on a blackened patch of ground.
The identity of the deceased was not immediately known.
Provincial police spokesperson Captain FC Van Wyk confirmed that Delft police had opened a murder case following the discovery. He said the body was reported at the Delft SAPS Community Service Centre at about 9.10am.
Van Wyk reported: “Delft police registered a murder case following the discovery of an unidentified burned-out body on Thursday, 24 September 2026 at approximately 9.10am at an open field parallel to Hindle Road, Delft South, Delft. The body was burnt beyond recognition.
"An unknown member of the community reported a burnt body lying in the open field at the Delft SAPS Community Service Centre.
"There was a burnt tyre on top of the body. A postmortem will be conducted to determine the cause of death, race and gender. Circumstances surrounding this incident are under investigation."
Police have not confirmed how the person died, whether the body was burned at the site or whether the death was linked to any group or criminal organisation. The postmortem is expected to provide investigators with information about the cause of death and the identity of the deceased.
The discovery prompted speculation among residents, who questioned whether the person could have been killed in a mob-justice attack. Those claims had not been confirmed by police.
One resident, who asked not to be identified, said they had heard that the person may have been killed by members of the community. The source told the Daily Voice: “I don’t know exactly what happened, but I heard that apparently it could have been mob justice. But the way crime is rife this side, this could have also been a murder that is gang-related. At this point, it could be anything.
"The issue is that Delft South is a murder capital where murders are constantly taking place; if it is not shooting, then babies are being dumped, or stabbings, or bodies are being burned and dumped.
“Crime has become so normalised because there is no hope and faith in the justice system. So instead of phoning the police, people take matters into their own hands. Die police kom agterna."
The resident’s account reflects the uncertainty surrounding the case, but does not establish what happened to the deceased. Police have urged residents not to rely on unverified claims and appealed to anyone with information to come forward.
The latest discovery comes against a backdrop of previous mob-justice cases in Delft. In January 2023, Daily Voice reported that five men were found burned to death in a bush near Blikkiesdorp. Four bodies were initially discovered near Symphony Way, while police returned the following day after receiving a tip-off about a fifth body.
According to that report, the men, aged between 25 and 36, had allegedly been accused by residents of breaking into a house and stealing a cellular telephone. Police said they were caught, beaten and set alight. Several suspects later appeared in the Bellville Magistrate’s Court on murder charges. The case illustrates the serious consequences of vigilante violence, while also underscoring the need to distinguish confirmed evidence from allegations in the current investigation.
The current case remains under investigation. No details about arrests or suspects had been released at the time of publication, and no motive had been established.
Crime Stop can be contacted on 08600 10111. Police have appealed to anyone who may have seen suspicious activity near the open field, Hindle Road, or the surrounding area to share information with investigators.