Police are investigating a case of murder after a three-year-old boy was found dead at a dump site in the Germiston suburb of Primrose, Ekurhuleni.

According to police spokesperson Kay Makhubele, a missing person's case was reported at the Primrose police station at around 21:00 on Saturday, following the disappearance of the toddler.

The child's body was found at the dump site on Sunday.

"Then a case of murder was opened and the suspects were traced," Makhubele said.

Two boys – aged seven and eight – were questioned and released into the care of their parents.

SowetanLive reported that the boys had confessed that, on Sunday afternoon, they had assaulted the toddler with stones, tied him up with a rope and pushed him down a mountain-like slide.

The paper reported that, after the two had slid down themselves, they noticed that the toddler had a cut on his head.

Makhubele said the police were still investigating the circumstances of the incident.