In a shocking and gruesome incident that unfolded on Thursday afternoon, a former employee of Sibanye-Stillwater’s 7 Shaft reportedly attacked and killed a colleague, beheading him and cutting open his abdomen.
The horrifying event took place in an informal trading area, not on the premises of Sibanye-Stillwater, according to James Wellstead, the spokesperson for the mining company.
Eyewitnesses at the scene recounted the chilling details of the assault.
The victim, having entered the medical aid offices at the shaft, was ambushed as he walked toward his vehicle in the parking lot to retrieve his clock card.
The assailant, armed with both a large and a smaller knife, allegedly stabbed the victim in the side before proceeding to behead him.
Shockingly, the eyewitnesses claim the suspect then cut open the victim’s abdomen and consumed something from the man’s gut.
The assailant, seemingly unfazed, kicked the victim’s severed head away and proceeded to take selfies beside the lifeless body.
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According to a shaken witness, the victim had attempted to seek refuge with security guards at the entrance to the shaft, but they reportedly denied him entry, exacerbating the unfolding tragedy.
“This was really bad; he may still have been alive had they let him in. Instead, we all watched the most horrific murder unfold before our very eyes,” the witness expressed.
Disturbing video footage and images captured the assailant lifting his arm to stab the victim, followed by gruesome poses with the deceased from various angles.
The perpetrator even shared the shocking images on his social media status.
James Wellstead confirmed that the incident occurred in an informal trading area and not within Sibanye-Stillwater’s premises.
He revealed that the deceased was an employee, while the assailant was a former employee dismissed for reasons yet unknown.
Wellstead added that the two had a history of hostile disputes.
As the community grapples with the trauma of witnessing such a heinous act, plans are underway to provide professional counseling for those who were present at the scene.
Meanwhile, investigations are ongoing, and authorities are yet to apprehend the suspect, who reportedly made no attempt to flee the scene.
