The lifeless body of a young woman was found in her shack in the Freedom Park informal settlement in Ottery.
Nashandra Riet was discovered in her hokkie on Tuesday evening, three days after residents last saw her alive.
Chantel Hendriks, who found the 28-year-old woman’s decomposing body, says that she got a groot skrik.
“Another lady came to call so that we could go look for her. When we got there I saw there were a lot of flies by the window,” Chantel explains.
“I then told my grandson to climb through the window and see if she’s there and he said she’s laying there.”
She says that Nashandra’s body was already decaying.
“Her face was already blue and swollen,” says the traumatised vrou.
“When I got into the place there was a smell already. She was laying in front of the bed, I just looked so I told them this lady is dead.”
Rumours in the community are that Nashandra was killed by her 31-year-old boyfriend. Chantel, who is the man’s aunt, insists they can’t speculate.
“We can’t give false information when we don’t know the information [of her cause of death].
“Her boyfriend left on Wednesday. He is currently in the Northern Cape but he gave his statement to the police [before he left], who are waiting for the autopsy to see if it is him,” she says.
Chantel says the couple had been living together for about 10 years, and that Nashandra only has a brother who lives in Egoli informal settlement.
She also could not say whether they were fighting at the weekend, as she lives quite a distance from them.
According to police spokesperson Wesley Twigg, Nashandra was stabbed to death while cops are still looking for the unknown killer.
Her body was found just a few days after a young mother, Megan Jacobs, 24, was stabbed to death in the same informal settlement.
Twigg says a 24-year-old man, believed to be Megan’s boyfriend, has been arrested and charged with her murder.
Chantel adds that gender-based violence is a big problem in the informal settlement and urged women to piemp their abusers.
Police are urging mense with information about these two crimes to anonymously contact Crime Stop at 08600 10111.
byron.lukas@inl.co.za