The body of an unidentified woman, which was in an advanced stage of decomposition, was discovered in the veld in Colville.
THE BODY of an unidentified woman, which was in an advanced stage of decomposition, was discovered in the veld in Colville on September 9.
Eyewitnesses said that the woman had long blonde hair and that her hands were bound while her head was wrapped in a cloth and tied with wire.
One witness believed that her body could have been dumped there after she was killed.
“This is the third body that was recently dumped in the area,” the witness claimed.
A local resident, Lionel van der Westhuizen, discovered the body on Saturday afternoon.
Van der Westhuizen said that he went to collect firewood in the veld on Saturday at around 3.30pm when he saw what appeared to be a knee sticking out between branches.
On closer inspection, he discovered a body concealed under the branches.
“She was buried in a shallow grave and her fingers had already decomposed. It appeared as if the body was lying there for a long time. She was dressed in a pair of trousers and a grey hoodie and she was barefoot. Her whole body was bound with wire,” said Van der Westhuizen.
“Just to make certain of what I had seen, I called Shan van der Westhuizen and her brother-in-law Victor van Wyk, who lives close by, to confirm that it was indeed a body, before we called the police.”
Van der Westhuizen added that the police requested them to assist in retrieving the body.
Shan said that she had trouble sleeping after viewing the body.
“The body was in an advanced stage of decomposition and I wasn’t able to make out many features on her face. Council must clear the area because it is not safe for children who may be frequenting the area as it is in close proximity to Beacon Primary School.”
Police spokesperson Sergeant Timothy Sam said the Kimberley police have opened an inquest following the discovery of a decomposed body in Colville on September 9.
“Preliminary investigations indicate that a resident who was collecting wood behind Beacon Primary School stumbled upon what seemed to be human flesh concealed in a shallow grave and immediately informed the police,” said Sam.
“The police are investigating the circumstances that led to this discovery.”
Sam added that the identity of the deceased was not known at this stage.
“The police are requesting the public who may be missing a female family member to contact the investigating officer, Detective Constable John Ross Webb, at 069 703 9826 or 08600 10111 or SMS anonymously to 32211 or use the MySAPS app.
“All information received will be treated confidentially,” Sam said.
