Sowetan

Foul play ruled out in death of couple

Both killed by accident injuries, say police

- By Asanda Nini

Port St Johns police have ruled out the possibilit­y of murder or foul play in the death of a couple whose luxury BMW X5 plunged 150 metres down a cliff, killing both earlier this month.

The two victims, Lusindiso “Ali” Poyo and Nolwazi Mkhize, died on May 13 when their vehicle flew over the edge of a cliff at Mpembeni mountain near a local airstrip.

Their bodies were discovered six days after being reported missing by a local lodge where they had booked for the weekend.

The couple had left their belongings behind prompting a frantic search around the area by police and emergency services.

Police spokeswoma­n Captain Nozuko Handile said yesterday postmortem results showed the two died as a result of injuries after their car rolled down the cliff.

She said there were no visible signs showing that the two were killed before their car plummeted as initially suspected.

Handile, however, said further investigat­ions on the circumstan­ces surroundin­g their deaths were still ongoing.

At the time of their death, 56year old Poyo was a manager at the OR Tambo district municipali­ty while Mkhize, who celebrated her 39th birthday a day before their disappeara­nce, worked as a personal assistant to the municipal manager of Ingquza Hill municipali­ty.

The couple were buried separately on Saturday.

 ?? / SUPPLIED ?? Police and emergency service’s rescue teams at the bottom of the Mpembeni mountain, Eastern Cape, where the bodies of a missing couple were found after their car had crashed.
/ SUPPLIED Police and emergency service’s rescue teams at the bottom of the Mpembeni mountain, Eastern Cape, where the bodies of a missing couple were found after their car had crashed.

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