22-year-old woman found dead in trench near University of Limpopo campus

Police have opened an inquest after a 22-year-old woman was found dead in a trench next to the University of Limpopo fence in Mankweng.

Discovery and initial response

Officers on patrol were alerted to the discovery on Sovenga Street at about 6am on Sunday. When they arrived they found the woman partially clothed with her head inside a trench beside the campus fence. Emergency medical personnel pronounced her dead at the scene.

What police have said

Brigadier Hlulani Mashaba, a police spokesperson, said a preliminary inspection found no visible external injuries. A bag containing the woman’s identity document and an NSFAS card was located next to her body.

Police said preliminary information indicated the woman may have fallen into the trench, but investigators have not established the circumstances surrounding her death. Her identity has not been released; Mashaba said her name will be made public once her family has been informed.

Investigation under way

An inquest has been opened and investigators are examining the unanswered questions about how the woman came to be at the fence and what happened before her death.

Broader police activity

The report noted that Gauteng police are also investigating a separate series of deaths of women in and around Kempton Park, Ekurhuleni.