Cape Town - A Delft mother who had been reported missing at the weekend was found murdered after three days.
Cebisa Vulangengqele’s body was found on Baden Powell Drive near Tafelsig in Mitchells Plain. The 37-year-old was last seen on Saturday in Suburban (Delft South), when she left a tavern alone at about 7pm. Her relatives told the Cape Argus they were not ready to talk about the discovery of the body.
“We can confirm it was indeed her body which was found near Mnandi beach,” her cousin said. “She went missing on Saturday, she went to a shebeen called Kwa One.
“We don’t know who took her and what actually happened. This is still painful to us and we would rather not share any more details.
“We are also thinking of her 8-yearold son who is not in a good space and hasn’t been since Cebisa went missing. We will update on Facebook.”
Police spokesperson Malcolm Pojie said they had not yet officially identified the body of the woman found in Tafelsig.
“The deceased still needs to be officially identified. Mitchells Plain police opened an inquest docket for further investigation following the discovery of the body of a woman in her mid-thirties on Tuesday, May 23, at approximately 12.10pm on the side of the road in Baden Powell Drive near Tafelsig, Mitchells Plain.”
Pojie said the discovery was made by a passer-by who alerted the police.
“The unknown deceased was dressed in blue jeans, a beige bodysuit, green jacket with a green bag on her back and a One Star takkie on her left foot. The circumstances surrounding the discovery form part of the investigation as it is not certain what happened. The body was recovered and handed over to Pathology Forensic Service. An autopsy will be conducted soon to determine the possible cause of death.”
Social service and educational organisation Ilitha Labantu spokesperson Siya Monakali said the death of one woman was one death too many.
“We are deeply concerned about the high prevalence of violence perpetrated against women in the Western Cape.
“This discovery of this deceased woman should raise concerns about the province’s efforts towards eliminating the scourge of femicide as beaches have become a common ground for the dumping of women’s bodies over the years, and there seems to be no change in this situation.
“As an organisation, we appeal to our police to conduct thorough investigations to get to the bottom of these incidents, and stronger appeals are made to our government to make our communities safe.”
Anyone with information regarding the incident or who can identify the deceased is requested to contact the Mitchells Plain SAPS or Crime Stop at 0860010111.