The community of Wolseley in the Boland is devastated following the discovery of three bodies in the area recently. This weekend, they buried 21-year-old Bernadine Frans, one of the three murder victims in Pine Valley.
A 32-year-old suspect has been arrested after he was allegedly seen trying to bury a woman’s body in the informal settlement.
Community of Wolseley reels after discovery of three bodies in the area:
The community of Pine Valley in Wolseley came out in their numbers to pay their respects to the deceased Frans. Her body was found mere metres from the home of the suspect, Siyamnkela Sobambela.
Angry community members allegedly torched the structure when Sobambela was arrested by police.
Frans’s parents are struggling to come to terms with her death.
Step-father, Liaan Marthinus says it feels like a piece of puzzle in his life is missing.
“Mentally, I am tired. It’s like a piece of puzzle in life is missing. It will always be missing, especially on the mother’s side. I can see she is frustrated; she is just trying to cope with the fact that her child is no more.”
The community is still in shock and fears that more bodies may be discovered in the area. The incident has, however, brought them together as this tragedy affected the whole community.
Community leader Jacob Zalie says the community is still hurting.
“People are still hurting and they are trying to cope. What it has done is it has brought us closer us a community, different races, we have become one. We live with your pain is my pain, we feel the pain that the family is going through; we feel it.”
The identities of the other two bodies that were found have not yet been released as DNA tests are still under way. Many questions remain as yet another young woman could lose her life.
