Cape Town – The body of a Cape Town woman was discovered on Macassar beach on Tuesday.
Zuziwe Mvinjana, 58, from Makhaza, left her home on Monday morning en route to Khayelitsha Hospital, where she wanted to have herself tested for Covid-19.
Her devastated son-in-law, Sandiso Matodlana, 37, said his mother-in-law was taken to see two private doctors but was given injections each time because they said she only had the common cold.
However, on Sunday she was adamant to go to hospital as she was short of breath and had started feeling worse.
“My partner told her, my brother will take her to hospital. Monday came and he couldn’t find her. My partner couldn’t get ahold of her and her phone kept going to voicemail,” Matodlana said.
The family checked when their mother was last on WhatsApp and discovered it was at 10.10am.
“They went to search for her at the hospital after a cousin who lives close by went by her house and found it empty.
“At the hospital they were denied entry due to Covid-19, but a nurse was asked to check. She did and came back, telling us our mother was not on the system and she wasn’t there,” Matodlana said.
The family tried to open a missing person’s report with the police but were told they could only be helped if they had a photograph.
Two policemen knocked on their door to tell them about her body being found. Photo: Ayanda Ndamane/African News Agency (ANA)
Matodlana went back home to retrieve a photo of his mother-in-law while other relatives returned to the hospital to double-check.
A security guard known to the family was asked to check the other section of the hospital.
“He came back and told relatives she was there. She was receiving oxygen. They asked him to please make sure and ask the woman to confirm she is Zuziwe.
“He went and she had nodded yes. I was called and told not open the case as she was found,” Matodlana said.
The family, relieved to have found their mother, went home and returned to the hospital on Tuesday.
“We went back to the hospital and again were told she was not on the system. They couldn’t find her. I then received a call from my brother-in-law stating Macassar police were at the house,” he said.
The family of 58-year-old Zuziwe Mvinjana from Makhaza, Khayelitsha, are devastated. Photo: Ayanda Ndamane/African News Agency (ANA)
He rushed home, where police officers showed the family a photograph of a woman.
“They (police) said they had bad news. We were shown a picture, the picture of our mom. One could see blood from her nose, sand on her face.
“According to police they found her bag, identity document, cellphone and receipt from the hospital near her body. Someone jogging on the beach found her,” Matodlana said.
Provincial police spokesperson Mihlali Majikela said an inquest docket has been opened.
“A post-mortem will be conducted to determine cause of death,” Majikela said.
The family said they just want the truth for closure.
