The body of a young Mitchells Plain father was found dumped and hidden under old clothes and paper on a veldjie in Rocklands on Wednesday afternoon.
Two passers-by noticed the feet of the deceased sticking out from under the pile of vullis in a ditch, close to Lightning Road.
The body was later identified as that of Calem Wilschudt, 19, whose parents were called to the scene while they were at work.
Shantal Wilschudt and Andre van Reenen described their son as a good person who wasn’t involved in gangs.
Shantal says: “He is still so young and has a newborn baby, my heart is sore.”
It is believed that Calem was stabbed to death as a bloody knife that was found close to the body.
Andre says his son was a well-mannered man who did odd jobs for a living: “He had a drug problem, but it didn’t change who he was. Everyone knew him, he would always help people whenever they asked, and he would make money by doing this.
“He lived with us and he never gave us problems.”
Community members at the scene accused authorities of doing niks about the problematic dumping ground.
Shahieda Ederies says: “This field is used by so many people, even children who go to school; imagine the trauma if one of them had to discover the body.”
Police spokesperson Wesley Twigg confirmed a case of murder has been opened for investigation.
“Police members attended the crime scene where they found the victim with injuries to his head,” Twigg says.
“The motive for the attack is unknown. The suspect/s fled the scene and are yet to be arrested.”
tracy-lynn.ruiters@inl.co.za