Cape Town - The woman whose body was found in a quarry in Bo-Kaap has been identified as a former model and aspiring actress.
Anela Madikazi was last seen on Sunday, August 18, wearing a long, light blue dress and black leather jacket. Her body was found the following day at around 5pm. At the time, her family was unaware of her death.
The grim discovery was made by young boys playing soccer on the abandoned rugby field along Strand Street towards High Level Road.
The 29-year-old model’s dress had reportedly been pulled up and she was visibly wounded. Earlier this week, Madikazi’s distraught family, having searched for her for more than a week, discovered she had been murdered.
Her devastated mother, Bulelwa Madikazi, said: “Anela had been renting her place in Philippi but she always made sure she video-called her niece every day.
“It was so strange when she didn’t call that evening; my granddaughter called her and she couldn’t get through.”
Anela had been with her cousin when she went missing from the city centre.
“She was having trouble with her boyfriend and she called my daughter, or my daughter went to see her, to try and help with the problem.
“They spent some time at a pub (in Long Street) and then they went to visit Anela’s friend and they left him at around 5pm. She reportedly left the cousin around 9pm and told her she was going back to her friend.
“She got into a cab and told the driver where she was going. The cousin remembered the address but she said she didn’t remember the description of the vehicle or the driver.”
Bulelwa said she was informed last Monday about the disappearance.
“I told her cousin that it had been more than 24 hours and that she must go to the police to report Anela as missing since she was the last person who saw her. My daughter and brother went to town and when they arrived, the cousin was nowhere to be found and her cellphone was on voicemail.
“Instead, she posted about Anela’s disappearance on social media and when confronted, she started crying.
“We then went to the mortuaries and we eventually found her but we were not allowed to see her face as the detective said her face was disfigured or damaged so my brother went to see her and only saw a cut on the forehead.”
The victim’s mother believes she may have been in distress and decided to jump to safety.
“My initial thought is that the driver tried to do something and she decided to jump off into the quarry.”
Cape Town Central Community Policing Forum (CPF) chairperson Marc Truss previously said it appeared as if the woman had been attacked.
“We think that the woman died by probably gender-based violence and probably trauma to the head,” said Truss. “Unfortunately, she succumbed to her injuries from the abuse.”
Police spokesperson Wesley Twigg said the post-mortem result was awaited.
“As such, this office is not in a position to reveal the motive and the cause of death yet. Cape Town Central police registered an inquest after the body of an unknown female was found on an open field in Bo-Kaap on Monday.
“A post-mortem will be conducted to determine the cause of death.”
Anela had been featured as a model on the Hair to the Throne TV show.
“She was also an actor,” said her mother.
Anyone with any information about this incident can contact Crime Stop on 08600 10111.