The body of a Zimbabwean businessman, Evans Katumba, who was abducted in Durban last month with the kidnappers demanding a ransom of R2,5 million, has been found by police in KwaZulu Natal, South Africa with indications that he had been shot dead before the ransom demands were made.

The body was badly decomposed but dressed in the clothes Katumba was wearing when he was kidnapped.

According to media reports from South Africa, Katumba, a fuel trader specialising in diesel, was snatched by men armed with AK47s on March 22 and had not been seen or heard from since.
Reports indicated that the kidnappers demanded a ransom of R2,5 million for Katumba’s release. The family managed to raise R1.5 million which was reportedly handed over to the kidnappers. However, even after the partial payment, Katumba was not released, intensifying concerns among his family and friends.

Last Thursday morning, authorities in Hammersdale, a town west of Durban, recovered the body of a man with two bullet wounds. However, due to the advanced state of decomposition, identification could not be immediately confirmed.

The family now awaits DNA confirmation to establish the identity of the deceased. However, all the clothing found on the deceased matched what Katumba was wearing at the time of his abduction.