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Mashudu Netsianda  Senior Reporter
A ZIMBABWEAN man was found dead, half naked on a bridge at Thohoyandou in South Africa’s Limpopo province after he was allegedly stabbed by unknown suspects.South African police spokesperson for Thohoyandou, Major Mashudu Malelo identified the man as Tafi Nyika, 27. He said Nyika’s killers also robbed him of money and clothes before dumping his body at the bridge over the Mvudi River last week.

Nyika, a creative artist from Harare, lived at Muledane Village in Thohoyandou.

“Nyika left his home on Saturday morning and went to work at Thohoyandou Block D. He however, did not return and his wife became suspicious and alerted neighbours who then assisted her in conducting a search. They discovered his body the following day at around 7AM dumped at a bridge over Mvudi River,” said Maj Malelo.

He said they suspected that Nyika could have been murdered as his bloodied body had stab wounds and his clothes had been torn to pieces in a sign that he tried to resist his assailants.

Nyika’s wife, Progress Gavaza, said her husband phoned her on the fateful day at around 7PM, informing her that his employer had dropped him at a nearby garage.

Gavaza said she became suspicious when Nyika delayed arriving home.

“It was getting late and my husband hadn’t arrived home and that’s when I started panicking. I tried to phone him, but both his phones were off and I became very confused,” said Gavaza.

She said she informed her neighbours  and they accompanied her to a nearby tavern to check on him but could not locate him.

“I went back home, but couldn’t sleep and the following morning, some people from the neighbourhood came and told me that a body had been found on the bridge and I went and discovered that it was my husband’s body and was so devastated,” she said.

Maj Malelo said police were appealing to members of the public with information to come forward.