A man has been arrested after his elderly mother’s decomposed body was discovered inside their home in Ilovu, south of Durban, more than two months after she was last seen.

Neighbours reportedly became suspicious after a strong, foul smell began coming from the property. They had also grown concerned because the elderly woman had not been seen for an extended period.

When neighbours went to the house, they made the grim discovery of the woman’s decomposed body inside.

Police were called to the scene and the woman’s son was arrested.

The circumstances surrounding the woman’s death, including how and when she died, have not been established. Police are investigating the matter.

The discovery has left the Ilovu community shocked as investigators work to establish what happened to the elderly woman and why her body remained inside the house for more than two months.