The Free State police do not at this stage suspect any foul play in the mysterious death of a female social worker, amid the reign of terror in the province marked with the spate of kidnapped young women. The police confirmed the body of the deceased social worker, Jessica Nombulelo Michael (28), was discovered yesterday, 11 December, at the Kalkfontein Dam wall.
Capt. Loraine Earle, spokesperson for the Free State police, said the deceased was reported missing on 6 December after she mysteriously disappeared in Koffiefontein in the Xhariep district. She said Michael’s body was found by the search team at the dam.
“Her vehicle was also found at the dam wall and nothing was missing from the vehicle. Her belongings, such as cellphone and purse, were still inside the vehicle,” said Earle.
According to Earle, Michael’s body was partly decomposed.
“A postmortem will be done on her body, but no foul play is suspected for now. The missing person’s file will now be investigated as an inquest following the discovery of her body,” said Earle.
The dam where the social worker’s body was found is 30 km outside Koffiefontein.
Earle said Michael’s colleagues claim they became suspicious when she did not respond to their calls and failed to fetch her baby from her mother’s residence after work on Tuesday. She said this was established on further enquiries the following day after the deceased did not report for work.
Michael was employed by the Free State Department of Social Development and was based in Koffiefontein. Thembile Nqabeni, spokesperson for the department, said Michael reported for duty on 5 December.
“Michael had attended a gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF) case in court the day she was seen alive, at about 11:00. She did not report for work the next day, on 6 December, according to information received from her colleagues,” said Nqabeni.
