Family of man who died at Ratanda Shoprite accuse its staff of corrupting crime scene

JOHANNESBURG - The family of 33-year-old Bandile Tshabalala, who was found dead on Sunday at a Shoprite supermarket in Ratanda, accused staffers of corrupting the crime scene where his body was found. 

Tshabalala was one of two men accused of theft on Sunday and was allegedly found with two Top Deck chocolate bars in hand before being taken to a back room of the store in the morning and only released later that afternoon. 

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The bereaved family dismissed the police's preliminary findings and statement, suggesting that Tshabalala was a victim of common assault only. 

Riddled with broken windows, peeling paint, and missing doors, the house of deceased Tshabalala is a quintessential example of homes in Ratanda. 

His death sparked outrage and anger among residents who claimed that this was not a first-time occurrence, adding that Tshabalala's addiction to drugs unfairly cost him his life.

His sister, Smangele Tshabalala, claimed that her brother was placed in a cold room for eight hours before his body was retrieved. 

"There's a witness who found my younger brother in the fridge and he is currently admitted in hospital. He was also in the freezing cold room that the police deny." 

Police said no arrests can be made until a postmortem report has been completed.