Residents of Kanana Informal Settlement in Gugulethu are reeling after the body of a woman was discovered in a shack on Wednesday 1 July. The cause of her death is unknown.

Neighbour raises the alarm

A community leader who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal said the deceased was discovered by one of her neighbours when she went to look for her.

“Based on the report that I received, one of the neighbours went to the deceased’s shack to check on her after she hadn’t seen the deceased for some time. She knocked on the door, no one responded and she pushed the door open. To her surprise, she saw her body,” he said, adding that he was unsure whether she was lying on the bed or sitting on the couch.

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Death suspected days before discovery

He said they suspect that she died on Monday 29 June, because some neighbours said they last saw her on Sunday 28 June.

He said her passing is shocking as she was active and didn’t show any signs of illness.

Police open inquest

Provincial police spokesperson Sgt Wesley Twigg confirmed the incident and stated that Gugulethu officers registered an inquest for investigation after the body of a 59-year-old woman was found inside an informal dwelling on Wednesday morning, 1 July, at about 08:30, in NY111, Kanana.

He said the circumstances surrounding her death are under investigation.

“A post-mortem will be conducted to determine the cause of death,” said Twigg.