Body of ‘half-naked’ woman found dumped in Lentegeur bushes

Western Cape police, on Sunday 26 April, made a gruesome discovery — one which they will most likely never forget. The “half-naked” body of a woman, as described by Lentegeur Community Policing Forum (CPF) chairperson Byron de Villiers, was found in bushes in Colorado, Lentegeur. 

Warning: The content contained within this article features sensitive details of a violent nature which some readers may find disturbing.

Western Cape police spokesperson Andrè Traut confirmed the discovery: 

“The circumstances surrounding the death of an unknown female are being investigated after her body was discovered on 26 April in Colorado, Lentegeur. The exact cause of her death is yet to be established and the suspect is yet to be arrested,” he said. 

Woman’s body found in bushes 

De Villiers told The South African that he was alerted to the discovery after a woman, who was walking through the bushes, found the body just off Weltevreden Parkway Road. De Villiers arrived at the scene at around 16:00 on Sunday. 

“I went to go and look and it was indeed the body of a female. She was naked from the waist down,” he said. 

“Her hands were tied with [shoe] laces at the wrist behind her back and she was lying face down,” he added. 

De Villiers said there was also a belt wrapped around her neck. 

When asked how old the woman could have been, he said anywhere between 16 and 20-years-old. He said her body could only have been there for a few hours. 

Recap: Tazne van Wyk murder trial postponed

The last time a case of gender-based violence shook the Western Cape to its core was when the body of innocent eight-year-old Tazne van Wyk was discovered. 

Van Wyk was found in a stormwater pipe near Worcester on 19 February. Just over two months ago. She was kidnapped near her home in Ravensmead, Cape Town.

Western Cape police said their main suspect, Moehydien Pangaker, who was allegedly last seen with Van Wyk on 7 February, pointed out where the body was located. 

This, after his arrest in the Eastern Cape, on Monday 17 February.

Pangaker was expected to appear at the Goodwood Magistrate’s Court on 17 April but due to the conditions of the lockdown, his trial has been postponed to 31 July. 

Since the lockdown, Police Minister Bheki Cele has assured South Africans, that the number of crimes have lessened.