Daily Sun - THE HUNT for missing Palesa Madiba took a new twist yesterday. Cops dug up the decomposed body of a young woman dressed in a blue jersey, black skirt and pink socks and slippers. PALESA (21) HAS BEEN MISSING SINCE 12 AUGUST.
The discovery on Tuesday meant more agony for Palesa's family, who have been taking part in door-to-door searches from Jabulani Mall, Soweto, to Phiri, to her home in Diepkloof. The body, still unidentified, was discovered in a shallow grave behind Jabulani amphitheatre. Yesterday Palesa's mother, Khosi Galasitwe (43), told Daily Sun she still believed her child would walk back home.
"It's been a difficult month since my daughter went missing but we remain praying that she will come home safely." She said she didn't recognise the description of the clothing of the dead girl.
"The last thing Palesa was wearing was a blue blazer, an orange top and blue jeans." Community patrollers in Jabulani found the grave late on Tuesday and alerted cops. Yesterday police and a forensics team dug up the grave and later in the afternoon, the gruesome discovery was made. The body was removed.
The friends and family of Palesa became worried when the student missed her exams at the University of Joburg's Soweto campus. She had spent the Women's Day long weekend at her friend's home in Phiri, also in Soweto.
The friend left Palesa at home and went to work that Monday, which was the last time she saw her. Since then posters with Palesa's face have been placed all over Joburg. The radio, TV and newspapers have been following the case. Pamphlets and T-shirts with Palesa's details on them have been distributed.
In another twist yesterday, an anonymous person sent SMSes to radio station Kaya FM telling them Palesa was alive and in Dobsonville.
They gave a house number but cops who raided the house found nothing. A spaza shop owner said he saw a girl who looked a lot like Palesa last week buying food and accompanied by a man.
Soweto cop spokesman Warrant Officer Kay Makhubela told Daily Sun: "We can't tell if the body is that of Palesa. Palesa is not the only girl missing, according to our records."
Makhubela said the woman in the grave was wearing artificial hair. The body has been taken to a government mortuary for a post mortem.
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