Woman dies on her way to buy veggies

A WOMAN left her rented room, rushing to buy vegetables, and never returned.

Her body was found in a stream.

The 42-year-old woman's corpse was found in a stream in Magwaveni, Durban, on Monday, 1 July.

Reaction Unit South Africa (Rusa) spokesman Prem Balram said residents contacted the unit's operations Centre around 8.09pm after they made the discovery.

"Rusa members were immediately dispatched and on arrival, found the female in a prone position below a low-lying footbridge. Her head was wedged underwater between two boulders," Balram said.

He mentioned that one resident informed officers that they heard screams at night but were afraid to investigate.

"The deceased's identity has been established. She resided approximately 100m from where her body was found."

According to her family, she left her home around 5pm on Sunday, 30 June to buy vegetables and didn't return.

Balram said circumstances surrounding the woman's death have not been established.

A resident said all they know is that the woman was found dead by a passerby near the stream.

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Ward councillor Thobekani Kunene said the woman was renting in the area, and her family hasn't been informed.

"This incident has left many residents shocked. They're scared to say anything regarding this," Kunene said.

The KZN police spokeswoman Constable Thenjiswa Ngcobo confirmed that police in Tongaat opened an inquest docket for investigation following an incident in which a body of a woman was found in a shallow stream in the Magwaveni area on Monday, 1 July.

"The victim had no visible injuries. Circumstances surrounding the incident are investigated. Reports indicate that the victim left her home to go to the shops and didn't return. Her body was found not far from her home," said Ngcobo.