The body of a Cape Peninsula University of Technology student was found burned on an open field in Paarl on Monday morning.
Asiphe Cetywayo, 21, from Phola Park in Mbekweni, was a final-year student studying for her Education degree.
According to her aunt, Bongeka Cetywayo, she last saw Asiphe on Sunday morning around 1am.
She says her niece left with a neighbour and the neighbour’s friend.
The aunt explains: “Asiphe and her friend, who is also our neighbour, left in the early hours of Sunday morning in a car with a man.
“According to the friend, they drove to a nearby tavern, the friend got out of the vehicle, but she realised that Asiphe is not with her.
“When she turned around, she found Asiphe and the car was not there, they were both gone.”
“The friend says that she waited for them to return till 4am but they never did, so she walked home. We started getting worried because Asiphe never sleeps out.
“We went to look for her but did not find her. That was when I went to open a case.”
The aunt says on Monday morning while getting ready for work, she received a call from cops to say that they found her niece’s body on the field.
Bongeka adds: “We are devastated as a family, her mother does not even want to eat. To make matters worse, the suspect escaped from the police station, so the family is not safe.”
Police spokesman Captain FC Van Wyk says a 28-year-old man was taken in for questioning, but would not confirm if any arrests have been made.
He reports: “This office can confirm that an inquest case was registered at SAPS Mbekweni and it will be changed to a murder case following an incident where a 21-year-old woman was found on an open field near Bo-Dal Road in the Mbekweni area on Monday morning.
“Her body was found by herdsmen. She was found with burn and other injuries to her body, and her face was swollen.”
Van Wyk would not comment on the allegations of the suspect escaping.
Drakenstein PR Councillor Sindile Gravel says the community is gutted.
Gravel adds: “It was a very devastating weekend for the people of Mbekweni because we lost three young people with such bright futures. One Saturday, one guy got stabbed and another got shot and then the incident with Asiphe.”
Last night, the community in the Boland township held a candle-light vigil for the deceased.
Tributes poured in for Asiphe on Facebook with the hashtag #JusticeforAsipheCetywayo.
Manyano Tshabalala wrote: “She loved smiling. She was a sort of a shy person, had such a great loving heart and saw good in everyone.