Children playing near a canal in Hanover Park got a skrik when they discovered the decomposing body of a man under the trees on Wednesday.
A large group gathered at the scene along Turfhall Road shortly after 3pm as the laaities ran to the home of neighbourhood watch members.
Sadeeka Valentine, chairperson of the Blomvlei Neighbourhood Watch, says she got a shock when the children rushed to her home to inform her.
“The laaities came running to my house to tell me they found the body after 3pm and I went to go look to confirm it was a body.
“They got a skrik because they went to play there and that is when they saw the body and the flies were everywhere.”
Valentine says on arrival they found the body of an elderly man who was wearing a grey jersey and a black pants, and the neighbourhood watch called police.
“He was laying on his back and it looked like he had already been there for a few days.
“He is an elderly man, but we couldn’t see any wounds on his body.
“All the people came running over when they heard and some people came to check if they knew the person, but nobody could identify him.”
Police spokesperson Colonel Andrè Traut says: “The circumstances surrounding the death of a man in his 60s are being investigated after his body was discovered yesterday [Wednesday] at around 6.45pm on the corner of Belmore [Avenue] and Turfhall Road.”
He says a death inquest docket has been registered and anyone with information is asked to call Lansdowne police on 021 700 9037.